Meddling With Fate
by potcfan06
Summary: Jack gets shot and goes into a coma, where he sees the future. He is warned not to change the future if he likes what he sees, but of course, being Captain Jack Sparrow he can't help but meddle with fate.
1. Rum

Okay, this starts long before any of the films, and before Barbossa's mutiny. It should go on until after AWE, if everything goes to plan and people like it. Basically Jack gets shot, and sees his future when he's in a coma, and then spends the next however many years trying to make what he sees come true. Elizabeth does come in, but not for a while and any kind of romance between her and Jack is even further off, but I promise it will come.

Sorry if some things aren't entirely accurate. I know I've changed some things to fit with this story, but I've tried to keep things as close to the films as possible. Please let me know if it's dreadful, or equally if it's really good (which I doubt) and you think I should write it twice as quickly!

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>1. Rum <strong>

The Captain of the Black Pearl was happy. He and his crew had looted a merchant ship loaded with gold and, to the captain's personal delight, rum.

Jack Sparrow drained his bottle of rum and put the empty bottle on his desk next to the others and took out his compass. It spun wildly for a few seconds before settling on a point behind his left shoulder. He stood up and stumbled slightly, before slowly following the direction of the arrow. He walked into a cupboard.

'Bugger !' he muttered, rubbing his toe. It hurt twice as much, seeing as he'd taken his boots off earlier and was barefoot with nothing to soften the blow.

He took a look at the compass and saw it pointed straight at the cupboard. Shrugging to himself, he opened the cupboard door and found two more bottles of rum.

'Why, hello!' he grinned, putting the compass back on his belt and grabbing the bottles, stumbling back to his original laid-back position on the chair.

Rum was definitely the best thing in the world. Well, that and Tortuga wenches. Except you could always guarantee that a bottle of rum wouldn't slap you if you double-crossed it. The same couldn't be said for the whores. But who could blame him for taking their money and running while they were still asleep?

'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow,' he muttered to himself.

So that was it. Rum was the best thing in Jack Sparrow's life. Although a bottle of rum would most certainly be useless at giving him pleasure in bed. Perhaps he should reconsider.

Jack took a large swig from the bottle. Oh yes, the rum was good.

But there was one other thing that Jack loved. The Pearl. His beloved ship. Who needed rum, or whores, when they had the Pearl? And who was captain of the Black Pearl, the most beautiful vessel ever to sail the seven seas? Jack Sparrow. Which made him quite the best pirate in the Caribbean.

And what was the Pearl full of right now? Rum.

'To ships full o' rum,' Jack mumbled, raising the bottle to nobody in particular and taking a hearty swig, just for good measure.

There was a loud knock on the cabin door and Jack sat up with a start, waking from his daydream.

'Cap'n?

'Bugger off!' yelled Jack.

'But cap'n…'

Jack stood up and marched across the room, flinging open the door.

'I thought I said I wanted no disturbances this evening!' he said loudly and slightly tipsily.

'Well yes, cap'n, but this is important,' said his first mate Barbossa.

'Yes, but listen here, Hector,' said Jack putting his arm around Barbossa's shoulder. 'The captain doesn't like to be disturbed, especially when he's warned his first mate he's only to be disturbed at risk of death of the offending disturber. And when that said first mate who has been warned that the captain wants no disturbances, disturbs the captain, it means one very unhappy captain. Savvy?'

'Aye, I get yer,' said Barbossa. 'But I though ye might want to be knowin' we be approachin' another ship.'

'Another ship?'

'Aye.'

'And its colours?'

'It be Beckett, cap'n.'

Jack grinned.

'Oh, well that changes things,' he said. 'Let me just get me hat and I'll be up on deck. Make full sail towards that ship, and prepare the cannons.'

Jack picked up his hat, sword and pistol from where they had been lying on his bead and headed to the door.

'Wait,' he said to himself. 'I can't attack an enemy ship without me rum.'

He picked up his bottle of rum off the table and returned to the door.

'That's better,' he smiled, placing his hat on his head and walking out onto the deck.

Jack climbed the stairs to stand at the helm and took the wheel off one of his crew. 'Bootstrap' Bill Turner was Jack's closest friend on board the Pearl, perhaps his only friend. Definitely the only man he knew he could trust.

'Ready the cannons,' Jack told him.

'Aye cap'n,' said Bootstrap. 'We're taking Beckett down for good this time, eh?'

'Aye,' said Jack, grimacing as he remembered the last time they'd tried that. It had ended in the Pearl fleeing to Tortuga with quite a lot of gold's worth of repairs needed.

Bootstrap went down the stairs and joined in with the rest of the crew, loading cannons, guns and readying swords and ropes to swing onto the enemy ship. The Pearl drew alongside the other ship, but Jack held back the order to fire as Beckett lowered a gangplank between the two ships and walked across it with three of his men.

'Sparrow,' said Beckett, looking up and down him with a scrutinizing gaze. One of the men next to him laughed. Jack looked down and realized he had forgotten to put his boots back on after taking them off earlier, and that he was still carrying the bottle of rum. He grinned sheepishly and hid the bottle behind his back, noticing Barbossa roll his eyes and a couple of his own crew snigger amongst themselves.

'Captain Sparrow,' Jack corrected him. 'What a pleasure to find you standing on my ship.'

'If only I could say the same to you, Captain Sparrow,' said Beckett, staring at Jack's bare feet.

'Is there anything I can help you with?' asked Jack, mocking politeness. 'Or can I get straight to blowin' holes in your ship?'

'Your compass, Sparrow,' said Beckett, holding out his hand. 'Hand it over and nobody need get hurt.'

'Surely one of your lovely men has a compass,' said Jack. 'Why should you need my help to tell you which way is north?'

'It would be all very well, but one doesn't often go looking for north, do they?'

'Well, if that's all you want…'

Beckett pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Jack. Several of Jack's crew reached for their swords.

'If you aren't prepared to give it to me, I'll have to take it from your lifeless body,' sneered Beckett.

'I don't think ye will, mate,' replied Jack, staring into Beckett's eyes. 'Not with all my men on this ship. There's thirty-eight of them standing on this deck. And only one of you. Plus yer three sidekicks, but I don't think they'll make much difference. Eunuchs, if ye ask me.'

One of the men started forwards, but Beckett put an arm out to stop him.

'What makes you think I won't shoot, Sparrow?' asked Beckett.

'Ye love chasing me,' teased Jack. 'Why shoot your favourite hobby?'

'Jack…' pleaded Bootstrap from his side.

'It's okay,' said Jack. 'He won't shoot. 'I'm Captain Jack Sparr…'

There was a bang and Jack tried to duck, but he felt a sudden sharp pain in his shoulder as he was thrown back across the deck. He heard Barbossa's yell of 'Attaaaack!' and heard swords clash, and cannons fire, but his vision went blurry. He looked down and saw the whole of the left side of his shirt was drenched in blood.

'It's okay, cap'n,' said Bootstrap, picking him up in his arms and carrying him towards the cabin. 'I'll look after you. Everything'll be fine.'

'Turner…' Jack gasped. 'Beckett, kill him.'

'S'ok, Jack,' replied Bootstrap, pushing open the cabin door and laying Jack down on the bed. 'Barbossa's taking care of it.'

Jack could hear the battle through the wooden panels of the cabin. His vision blurred once more as he heard Barbossa yell, 'Pearl! Captain's down! Retreat!'

'No,' muttered Jack. 'Don't retreat…'

'Come on Jack,' said Bootstrap, walking over the bed with some pieces of cloth and a bottle of rum.

'Rum…' said Jack, before everything went black.


	2. Dreaming

**2. Dreaming**

Jack was standing on the deck of the Pearl. It was daytime again, the sun was shining brightly on the wooden deck. He looked up to the helm and saw a man he didn't recognize standing at the wheel. He immediately marched up the stairs to confront the man.

'Oi, get off me ship!' he yelled, sidling up to the man. He had a white beard around the sides of his chin, and his hair was a dark grey colour. The man ignored Jack, looking straight ahead to the front of the ship. The man looked down and took a swig from a flask hanging from his belt.

'Oi, sailor, are you listening to me?' he shouted. 'Tell me who ye are and what yer doin' on my ship!'

Still no response. Jack tried to grab the man, but where his hands should have taken hold of the man's shoulder's they went straight through, as if the man wasn't actually there.

'Must be hallucinating,' muttered Jack. 'I suppose I did have rather a lot of rum. But it's strange. I've never drunk so much I've hallucinated before.'

'Yer not hallucinating Jackie,' said a voice from behind him.

Jack turned.

'Mum? Yer dead?' he asked.

'Aye, I am.'

'So I'm dead too?' asked Jack.

'No Jackie, you've been shot,' replied the ghostly white figure.

The memory came back to Jack. Beckett and the gun. Bootstrap taking him to the cabin. He looked down at his shoulder. His shirt was bloodstained, and when he pulled the shirt aside, he could see the bullet hole in his shoulder.

'Yer lucky ye tried to avoid it Jackie,' said the figure of his mum. 'That action saved yer life.'

'So if I ain't dead, and I clearly ain't alive, where am I?' asked Jack.

'Yer in a coma Jackie,' she replied, fading away. 'Ye'll be here until ye wake up.' She was almost gone now. 'If ye wake up…'

She had faded out completely.

'No wait!' yelled Jack. '¡Espera! Come back here ye useless woman! I need to know where I am!'

Nothing happened. Jack sighed and walked back down the stairs onto the main deck. Just as he did so, a woman emerged from the cabin door. She was beautiful, with long, light brown hair. She wore men's clothes, a baggy white shirt, brown breeches, leather boots and a waistcoat, a sword belt around her waist. Jack walked up to her.

'Lost, darlin'?' he asked with a grin.

She ignored him and walked to the side of the boat, leaning on the rail and looking out to sea.

'Not you as well,' Jack muttered, watching her. She really was very beautiful.

'Oi, Lizzie! Where'd ye go?' shouted a voice from behind him. A very familiar voice.

Jack turned and stood in shock as he saw himself walk out of the cabin, pulling on his coat and putting his hat on his head.

'Bloody hell…' muttered Jack.

He watched as the woman, Lizzie, turned around and smiled as the other Jack walked up to her. Other Jack put his hands on Lizzie's waist and kissed her. She wrapped his arms around other Jack's back and kissed him back. Jack's mouth fell open.

'Get in there Jackie,' he whispered. 'Aren't I jealous of you? Or me. Which is it? God this is confusing!'

'Do you two have to do that on deck?' yelled the man at the wheel. 'Ye have yer cabin fer that!'

Other Jack and Lizzie broke apart giggling.

'Ah, Mr Gibbs,' other Jack said loudly, striding towards the stairs.

'Yes, cap'n?'

'Would ye happen to know where Henry is right now?'

'No, I wouldn't,' replied Mr Gibbs.

'And why not?' asked other Jack, raising his voice. 'Did I or did I not ask you to entertain him while me and Lizzie were … um … busy?'

'Yes ye did cap'n, but I believe the whole point of playin' hide an' seek is that ye don't know where the other person's hiding,' replied Mr Gibbs. 'Last I saw, he was runnin' below deck with Pintel an' Ragetti.'

'Thank ye, Mr Gibbs,' said other Jack, and then he turned and stared straight at where Jack was standing by the mast and smirked, before looking away again.

Jack watched as the other Jack went below deck, and turned to look at Lizzie in more detail. He walked up to her and took a closer look at her. She was tanned, and had a good figure, and Jack noticed she had really beautiful brown eyes. He was stopped in his study of her by a blue and yellow parrot swooping low over his head before settling on the railing beside Lizzie.

'Bloody bird!' he said loudly. 'Nearly took me eye out! Not to mention the mess it must leave all over me ship. What was I thinking, letting a bird onboard?'

'Ye liking what ye see Jackie?'

He turned and saw the ghostly figure of his mother beside him once more.

'There's a parrot on me boat!' he exclaimed. 'Can you imagine the poop?'

The figure chuckled.

'This is yer future Jackie,' she said. 'If that's what ye make it.'

'So this Lizzie girl,' said Jack. 'She'll be mine in the future?'

'Not necessarily. If ye change the path of the future, then no. But if ye live yer life as fate were meant to have it, she'll be yours Jackie.'

'Excellent!' said Jack clapping his hands together.

'Don't change the future Jackie. If ye want her as yer own, let it be. But I'll be warning ye now. She's a tough one that Lizzie. Don't let her go. Don't let this go. There will be a time when it seems she don't want you no more. She won't mean it. Forgive her.'

The figure faded once more.

'No, don't go,' protested Jack. 'What do ye mean?'

'Forgive her Jackie,' said the ghost. 'When she kills ye, forgive her.'

She vanished.

'Now yer making no sense at all,' muttered Jack. 'How can I forgive her if she killed me? I'll be bloody dead!'

Jack heard a high-pitched giggle from behind him and turned to see a small boy race up the stairs from the brig and run across the deck.

'Kids on the ship too?' he murmered. 'Perhaps I'm becoming a bit too soft in me old age.'

The boy ran straight over to Lizzie, who swept him up in her arms and kissed his forehead. Jack stared in surprise. The boy had curly light brown hair and his facial features were well-defined, but when looking into the boy's eyes it was like staring into a mirror. They were the darkest brown, and when the boy smiled, Jack recognized part of his own mischievous smile in it.

'He can't be…'

'Henry Sparrow, where have ye got to?' said other Jack, emerging from the same stairs the boy had appeared from.

'No,' muttered Jack. 'He isn't…'

'Oh yes he is, Jackie,' he heard his mother say, and the world went black.


	3. Recovery

Third chapter for you. This is more of just a filling in chapter. Sorry if it's not that interesting, but it sort of has to be here.

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><p><strong>3. Recovery<strong>

'Jack?'

Jack was lying on something comfortable. And somebody was calling his name.

'Jack? Wake up Jack!'

'It's _Captain_ Jack, you bastard!' he croaked, opening one eye slowly.

He saw Bootstrap Bill smile as he sat beside Jack's bed.

'It's good to see yer back to normal captain,' he said.

'Pass the rum,' Jack grumbled.

'I don't think that'd be…'

'Damn you Turner, I'll get it meself,' said Jack, sitting up and then falling back onto the bed in pain, yelling and clutching his shoulder.

'It's your shoulder cap'n,' said Bootstrap. 'Beckett shot you.'

'I remember. Where is he? I feel like stabbing someone,' said Jack, sitting up and regretting it. He pushed back the sleeve of his bloodstained shirt and saw a wound on his shoulder, just starting to heal over.

'Take it easy Jack,' said Bootstrap, taking a bottle of rum and passing it to him. 'Here. Drink this if it'll get you to stay in bed.'

'Is Beckett dead?'

'No, he fled back to his ship and then Barbossa ordered a retreat,' said Bootstrap. 'We outran them.'

'I give the orders around here, not Barbossa!' said Jack angrily, drinking some rum.

'You weren't around to give the orders,' said Bootstrap.

'I'd been bloody shot!' shouted Jack. 'How long was I out?'

'Five days,' replied Bootstrap.

'Five days?' exclaimed Jack. 'It's a surprise the Pearl hasn't sunk! When can I get out of this bed?'

'When yer strong enough to captain this ship.'

'I'm strong enough now!' protested Jack.

'Yer arm's in a sling, and you've only been awake a couple of minutes,' said Bootstrap calmly. 'Give it a couple o' days and you'll be the same old mad Jack we all love.'

'There's no need to get all soppy on me Turner,' teased Jack. 'And besides, not many of the other men think of me as highly as you do. I'd say Barbossa hates me guts.'

'Nah,' said Bootstrap. 'He just doesn't like the way ye run things around here. He thinks yer too laid back.'

'Well I bloody am now, no thanks to Cutler Beckett!' said Jack. 'And what's the fun in being a pirate if ye don't have yer fun and drink a bit of rum now and again?'

Bootstrap raised his eyebrows.

'Okay, I admit it,' said Jack. 'I have more than just a bit o' rum on special occasions. But I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!'

'Aye, that ye are,' said Bootstrap, standing. 'I'd best be going. We'll be making port in Tortuga in a few hours. Barbossa'll want me help.'

'Tortuga?' asked Jack. 'That dirty swine. He can't leave me lying in me bed while the rest of the crew has their fun in Tortuga. Why, Tortuga's like me second home, after the Pearl. And I haven't had a wench in weeks. I have me needs!'

'We're not staying,' said Bootstrap. 'Just stocking up, then we're heading to Isla de Muerta for the Aztec gold.'

'Thanks fer saving me Turner, and looking after me,' said Jack.

'It's not a problem, cap'n,' said Bootstrap. 'I've had to look after me own little lad plenty of times. Though thankfully he's never got 'imself shot by the leader of the East India Trading Company.'

Bootstrap headed to the door.

'I'll be back in a couple of hours when we make port,' he said. 'Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.'

'Would I ever?' grinned Jack.

Jack spent the remainder of the afternoon lying on his bed doing absolutely nothing. It didn't take him long to finish the rum and when he did, there was nothing else for him to do and it frustrated him. He spent a lot of time thinking about what he'd seen when he was in the coma and after hours of thought, he had decided that he had to find this Lizzie woman. If his mother was right and this was the future, then she was going to be the mother of his child. Hell, that was a strange thought. Jack had sworn as a teenager that he would never have children and his plan had never changed. Yet he'd also sworn he would never marry or fall in love, and here he was planning on how to find this Lizzie and if what he'd seen of the future was true, what his future self had had with Lizzie looked more like a relationship than Jack's usual one night stand.

And he had called his child Henry, had he? He liked the name. It was a strong name for a boy, not too childish, not too old-fashioned. Just a normal name. He'd had a dog called Henry when he was a young boy.

Though his mother warned him not to meddle with the future, Jack couldn't help but long to find Lizzie. Perhaps it was in the act of looking for her that Jack found her. But where could he start? There were millions of women in the world, probably thousands called Lizzie. It was like trying to find a particular grain of sand on a beach, damn near impossible.

Fortunately for Jack, the Black Pearl only stayed in Tortuga for a few hours and he didn't miss out on much. The ship then set sail for Isla de Muerta in search of an ancient Aztec treasure. Jack was looking forward to finding the legendary treasure. He knew that there had been much debate amongst the crew as to whether the treasure actually existed or whether Jack was leading them on a fool's errand, and he was looking forward to proving the doubting members of his crew wrong.

Three days after they left Tortuga, Jack declared himself fit enough to resume his captainly duties, much to the disappointment of Barbossa. He seemed to have rather enjoyed his brief role as acting captain, and Jack noticed that a few of Barbossa's most loyal crew members didn't seem too pleased about Jack's return to good health.

'It's good to see you back on yer feet cap'n,' said Bootstrap that afternoon as Jack stood at the wheel.

'It's good to be back,' smiled Jack. 'I didn't want to leave Barbossa in charge any longer than necessary. He'll start getting ideas.'

'Some of the crew are getting ideas already,' said Bootstrap grimly. 'I've tried tellin' them you're the best captain this ship could have, but some of them don't want to listen.'

'It's okay,' said Jack. 'There'll always be someone who ain't happy with the captain.'

Bootstrap laughed and turned to walk away.

'Oi Bill!' Jack called after him.

Bootstrap turned to look at Jack again.

'There was something I'd been meanin' to ask ye. You have a kid, right?'

'Aye, my William.'

'How old is he nowadays?'

'Well the last time I saw him it were his eleventh birthday,' said Bootstrap thinking. 'I'd say he's probably comin' up to twelve.'

'What's it like?' asked Jack slowly. 'Having a kid?'

'Planning on being a father Jack?' teased Bootstrap. 'Never had you down as a family man.'

'That's because I'm not,' said Jack. 'Just some dream I had the other day got me thinkin', that's all.'

'Honestly?' asked Bootstrap, and Jack nodded. 'Well, it's hard work, never-ending, and an absolute nightmare at times!'

Jack's eyes widened. There was no way he was going to have a son in the future.

'But it's the best thing that's ever happened to me,' continued Bootstrap. 'Just looking into my William's eyes and knowing that he's mine, knowing that my little boy is growing up and becoming a man. Knowing that he loves me and looks up to me, it's the best feeling ever.'

Jack might consider it.

'You should try it one day,' smiled Bootstrap. 'It beats rum, honestly.'

'Nothing beats rum, mate,' replied Jack.

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><p>Reviews please! :) Thank you to those of you who've already reviewed. I'm glad to know that you like it!<p>

I'll try to update regularly, but I'm quite busy at the moment. So far I have the first nine chapters written, but chapter 10 is killing me, so I'm not going to give you all nine at once because it might be a while before no 10 is ready.


	4. Mutiny

I wasn't going to give you this until tomorrow, but I'm in a good mood, so here it is!

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><p><strong>4. Mutiny<strong>

Jack woke up to find himself being dragged out of bed and thrown to the cabin floor. He looked up and saw Pintel and Ragetti standing above him grinning.

'Oh God, not you two,' he groaned. 'What do you want? Ye'd better have a bloody good excuse fer…'

'Sparrow!' yelled Barbossa from the doorway. 'Out o' me cabin! Now!'

'Your cabin? This is my cabin ye damn swine! And it's _Captain_ Sparrow to you.'

'Not anymore it's not,' he leered. 'I'm captain now!'

'You?' spluttered Jack. 'But the Pearl. She's mine!'

'The Pearl is mine now, Jack!' cackled Barbossa. Pintel and Ragetti grabbed Jack and dragged him out onto the deck where the rest of the crew was waiting for him. They jeered at him and laughed as they passed.

The two men holding Jack threw him towards the plank, where he stumbled and landed at the foot of it. He climbed to his feet and stared out to sea. The morning sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, bringing a small island into view. Something told Jack that it wasn't Isla de Muerta.

'What the hell do ye think yer playing at Barbossa?' he yelled. 'Ye can't just throw me off me own ship!'

'It's called mutiny, Jack,' teased Barbossa. 'When the crew takes a dislikin' to their captain, they elect a new one and get rid o' the old one. The crew have taken a dislikin' to their captain, they've elected a new one, that'd be me, so now all that's left is to get rid of the old one.'

'You can't do this!' Bootstrap yelled over the crowd and Jack felt a burst of pride for him standing up to Barbossa.

'Toss him in the brig boys!' yelled Barbossa and a couple of the crew stepped forwards to take a struggling Bootstrap down below deck.

'He's right, ye can't do this,' said Jack.

'I'm captain now, I can do what I like,' laughed Barbossa and the crew joined in. 'We think it's about time we got a bit o' the traditional walkin' o' the plank done.'

Jack looked over his shoulder at the island before returning his gaze to Barbossa.

'Fine,' he said. 'Let's have it your way. The Pearl won't last two weeks without me. But I'm not going without me hat.'

'Get Jack his hat,' Barbossa ordered one of the crew. 'And anything else o' his still lying around. Make sure there's a pistol.'

The man returned a moment later and shoved Jack's hat on his head before tying his sword belt around his waist. He gave the pistol to Barbossa, who emptied it until only one shot remained. He gave the pistol to Jack.

'One shot,' said Barbossa. 'Won't get ye very far if yer lookin' fer food. Ye might want to do yerself a favour and shoot yerself before ye die of starvation.'

'I wouldn't dream of giving ye the satisfaction,' said Jack, a firm smile on his face. 'Ye see this pistol. The only time it'll be used is when I kill you. I will hunt you down and kill every single one of you traitorous bastards. But this one shot will be saved fer you, _Captain_ Barbossa.'

Jack made sure he emphasized the 'Captain'.

'And what makes ye so sure ye'll be getting' off the island in the first place?' mocked Barbossa and the men laughed.

Jack smile remained on his face.

'Mate, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow,' he grinned, before turning around and diving gracefully off the plank. When he surfaced, he took his hat off and held it to his chest as he saluted to the men lining the Pearl's railings, then turning and swimming strongly towards the island.

Jack sat on the beach, watching the Pearl sail away into the distance and sighed. The sun had come up behind him and was hot on his back. He decided to stand up and explore his new home. If he was going to die here, he might as well get to know his final resting place.

It took him just fifteen minutes to walk along the beach all of the way around the island. When he arrived back where he started, the Pearl was a distant dot on the horizon.

'Pig-headed bastard,' Jack muttered, throwing himself back down on the sand. 'I swear I'm going to kill him next time I see him.'

But first he was going to have to get off the island. And though he was Captain Jack Sparrow, even his extraordinary knack for escaping from sticky situations seemed to be evading him right now.

He looked down at what he had with him, looking for something that might suddenly create a miraculous escape. Sword, pistol, compass and his normal clothes.

'Nothing,' he murmered. 'Unless…'

Jack reached for the compass and unclipped it from his belt. What he wanted most was to get off the island and kill Barbossa, so perhaps the compass would point to a way to escape. He flipped it open and watched as it spun, before pointing out to sea. Jack looked up and saw the Pearl on the horizon in front of him.

'Yes, I know that's what I want, but I want to get off this island more!'

He closed the lid of the compass and shook it a couple of times, as if it might make a difference, and held it out in front of him. He closed his eyes.

'I want to get of the island. I want to get off the island. I want to get off the island.'

He kept his eyes open as he flipped up the lid and then tentatively opened one eye. He opened the other quickly and grinned as he saw it pointed somewhere behind him. He stood up and followed the direction of the arrow. About halfway across the island, the arrow suddenly flipped around and pointed the other way.

'Come on, make up yer mind!'

He walked around for a while, the compass constantly changing its mind.

'Damn thing!' he said angrily, shaking it again.

Nothing changed. Jack wandered around aimlessly for a few more minutes before leaning against a tree in despair.

'Hang on…'

Jack took the compass and walked around in a large circle in the clearing of trees he'd been walking aimlessly around for the past few minutes. The compass pointed to the centre of the circle he was walking the whole way around.

'Gotcha!' he grinned.

He crawled to the centre of his circle and examined the sand. He dug a bit, before realizing that the ground was hollow beneath the sand. Digging around a bit more, he discovered a trapdoor beneath the sand, and he swung it up to reveal some steps leading down below ground. Jack went down the steps slowly and a huge grin spread across his face at what he saw below him.

'Rum,' he said happily. 'It may not get me off the damn island, but it'll make me stay here more fun! Or at least I won't remember it not being fun!'

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><p>Thank you for the reviews so far, much appreciated. :)<p> 


	5. Rescue

**5. Rescue**

Three days later, Jack was well and truly drunk. He lay on the beach snoring, surrounded by empty bottles, and while he still hadn't found a way to get off the island, the amount of rum consumed in the last three days meant that he no longer cared.

He woke up as something prodded him in the stomach. Jack lazily opened one eye, and then shut it again as the bright light of the sun made his already throbbing head suddenly split open. He slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the sunlight, noticing three men stood over him, one of them prodding his stomach with his foot.

'Will you stop that?' croaked Jack angrily, sitting up.

'He ain't dead!' said a short man.

'Well done,' said Jack sarcastically. 'Now can you leave me alone. I feel rubbish.'

'You've bin drinkin' our rum,' said the tallest of the men.

Jack raised up a finger.

'Correction,' he said. 'I've been drinking _my_ rum. I found it first. Subsequently, the rum belongs to me. Savvy?'

'We hid it 'ere in the first place,' replied the man.

'Well ye didn't do a very good job, did ye?' said Jack loudly. 'Took me all of half an hour to find it!'

'But 'ow did ye find it?' asked the man who'd woken Jack up.

'That doesn't matter,' said Jack, dismissing him quickly with a wave of the hand. 'What does matter is when you lovely gents are going to offer me a ride away from this island.'

'Why would we want to do tha'?' asked the short man. 'You drank our rum!'

'I think we've already established that the rum is, in fact, mine, but if it makes a difference, then I'll buy you some more when ye drop me in the next port,' lied Jack. 'I'm a rich man.'

'Ye don't look very rich!' said the man who'd woken Jack, and the other two laughed with him.

'Tell me,' said Jack. 'Have ye ever heard of the Black Pearl?'

'Isn't that the ship with black sails?' asked the tall man. 'I 'eard it was the fastest ship in the Caribbean.'

'It is,' replied Jack.

'I 'eard the captain's a genius,' said the short man.

Jack smiled. For once, it seemed his reputation preceding him was a good thing.

'Really? I 'eard he'd be better off locked up 'cause he's mental!'

Perhaps not.

'No, he's Jack Sparrow, 'ave you read the stories about 'im? He's a legend.'

'Yeah, but he's a completely insane legend. Crazy. Some say it's from spendin' 'is whole life on a ship, some say it's from all the rum he drinks.'

'Gentlemen, if I may interrupt,' said Jack standing up between the arguing men. 'I sailed on Captain Jack Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl.'

Jack decided that hiding his identity would be the best option, especially as the Royal Navy and the East India Trading Company both wanted him at the gallows.

'And why would that make us any more likely t' let ye sail off this island on our ship,' asked the short man.

'Because I happen to know that the Pearl has just looted a whole load o' rum,' said Jack. 'And if ye want me to replace the rum I drank here, then I can.'

'We've already got rum.'

'I bet ye don't have Aztec gold though, eh?' said Jack. 'And the Pearl may have quite a bit of that.'

The men looked interested.

'Ye know, maybe we should give him a ride,' said the tall man. 'I could do with a bit o' gold.'

'Aye, an' it wouldn't feel right, leavin' him 'ere,' said the shorter man. 'He'd probably die.'

'You give me a ride on your ship, I give ye a bit o' me Aztec gold,' said Jack holding out his hand to the tallest man. 'Do we have an accord?'

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><p>Jack stood by the railing on the rumrunner's ship watching the island sail away into the distance. The three men had taken him to the captain of their ship and he had promised Jack a passage off the island in return for some Aztec gold when Jack got back to his ship. Jack had neglected to tell them that he had no idea where his ship was, and even if he did, he wouldn't have paid them. He was a pirate. Double-crossing people all part of the job.<p>

He had found out that the ship was going to Port Royal in Jamaica, and then onto England. He didn't think that getting off at Port Royal was the best idea, seeing as it had one of the largest navies in the Caribbean, but he didn't think he'd be able to spend weeks sailing across the Atlantic to get to England. And to what purpose anyway? He'd only have to sail back across it again to get back to the Caribbean.

He'd consulted his compass many times and when it wasn't pointing to one of the many stores of rum on the ship, it pointed east. He eventually reached the decision that as the ship was heading east he would stay on it until he found where his compass was leading him.

It took them three days to reach Port Royal, and Jack's compass was still pointing east. He stayed on the ship while the rumrunners did their business in order to avoid any members of the Royal Navy he might be familiar with. Once the business was over, Jack told them that his ship was in England and they seemed to accept this because they wanted his gold. He was still planning how he was going to escape from them without paying, but he wasn't worried. He had no doubt he'd be able to get away, especially having seen the strength, or lack of it, of the rumrunner's security.

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><p>Sorry this one's a bit shorter and not particularly interesting. Hopefully you'll like the next one! :)<p>

Thanks for the reviews. I'm so glad you approve of Jack. I've been finding it hard to keep him in character and I have a feeing it's going to get harder, but I'm glad to know you approve so far. :)


	6. England

I enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you like it! :) A bit of a longer one for you.

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><p><strong>6. England<strong>

It took them five weeks to sail to England, and Jack's compass pointed east for the whole journey. It was only towards the end of the voyage that it started to point slightly more towards the north, and Jack came to the conclusion that whatever it was pointing to must be in England.

'We'll be arriving in England this afternoon,' said a man called Daniel to Jack one morning.

Jack nodded.

And that afternoon, the ship docked in Plymouth. Jack remained in the shadows below deck, waiting for most of the rumrunners to leave the ship. When he thought it might be safe to emerge, he slowly made his way to the stairs leading back onto the deck.

He heard footsteps and paused.

'Where's that bloody pirate gone?' he heard an angry voice say, coming down the stairs.

'He owes us gold,' said another.

The two men reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Jack standing there.

'Bugger,' he muttered, before taking a step backwards.

'We want our gold.'

'Yes about that gold,' said Jack.

He needed to get off the ship without causing too much chaos. He had no doubt that once he made it up onto the deck he would be able to make his escape, but right now he had to get past these two. Fortunately for Jack, none of the rumrunners were particularly clever.

'You know, I was just on my way to get it,' said Jack, pushing past the two men and making his way up the stairs.

He could hear them following him. When he reached the deck, he walked slowly towards one of the longboats, the two men close behind him.

'Hold on a second,' mumbled Jack, leaning into the longboat.

He stood up straight and turned around, swinging one of the oars he'd found in the longboat at the men. One of them jumped back, but the other wasn't so lucky and was knocked unconscious by Jack's blow. The other man drew his sword and attacked Jack, but he blocked each swing with the oar. The man was a clumsy swordsman and Jack swung the oar into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Two more of the rumrunners, who had been standing by the wheel, had noticed that Jack had taken down two men, and they sprinted down the stairs. Jack decided it would be best for him to get off the ship as soon as possible, and turned around. He untied the rope holding the long boat and climbed onto the ship's railing, saluting to the two men running across the deck before swinging over to the wooden boarding at the dock.

He landed and let go of the rope, running away from the ship.

'Watch where you're going!' commanded a voice as Jack ran straight into a man.

'Sorry sir,' said Jack, looking up.

He had ran into a member of the navy, and not just any member of the navy. Captain Morrison was a sailor with whom Jack had had many run-ins before.

'Sparrow,' said Morrison slowly.

Jack pushed him aside and ran towards the crowds in the dock.

'Men!' he heard Morrison shout. 'After him! It's Sparrow, and I want him caught right now.'

Jack pushed through the crowds, looking over his shoulder to see a dozen armed men following him. Deciding that there were too many people around him, he climbed up onto a table of a market stall and ran across it and the other stalls lining the street. He ducked a couple of gunshots from the navy men and climbed up a tall ladder leaning on the side of a building. When he reached the roof he dashed across it. Some of the men followed him up the ladder, but most of them were running down the street below, firing the occasional shot.

Jack slipped and ended up sliding down a sloping roof. He tried to grab onto something but he was falling too quickly for his fingers to catch on anything. As he slid off the edge of the roof he grabbed onto a banner hung across the street, swinging one hand in front of the other to get to the other side. He dropped to the floor, rolling to lessen the impact and dashed down a narrow alley. He wove his way through the dark passages until he was fairly certain he'd lost the men chasing him and sat down on a wooden crate on the side of a nearly empty street, panting.

He ducked back into the alley as four soldiers ran past and waited for a moment. He sat down against the wall, deciding to wait there for a moment. A shadow fell over him, blocking the only light that came from the end of the alley. He looked up to see a young girl standing over him, probably about eleven or twelve years old. She looked quite rich, as she was wearing an elegant dress and her hair was glossy and neatly pinned to the top of her head.

'Are you the man they're looking for?' she asked.

'Would you mind leaving me alone, darling?' he asked. He didn't want her to give away where he was. 'Shouldn't you be learning to dance, or play the piano, or whatever it is upper-class children do these day?'

'Are you a pirate?' she asked.

Jack ignored this question.

'When I'm older, I want to be a pirate,' she said. 'It must be so exciting, sailing with the wind in your face, knowing you're free to do what you want. And full of danger and adventure.'

Jack looked up into the girl's face, full of eagerness.

'It is, love,' he said. 'It's the best thing ever. Until yer first mate leaves you on an island to die and the goes off and gets himself the Aztec treasure you were looking for.'

She looked at him admirably.

'I'd love to be able to sail free and find treasure,' she said. 'But Father would hate it. He says I have to grow up to be a proper lady.'

'You come and find me when yer older, miss, and I'll show ye how to be a real pirate,' Jack said. 'Proper lady or not.'

She smiled.

'I should go,' she said. 'Father will be looking for me. We're meant to be sailing to Jamaica today. Goodbye, Captain.'

'Bye,' Jack replied, feeling quite honoured that a twelve year-old girl he didn't know called him by his title when so many others forgot it after years of being reminded.

She left, and as she did so, Jack saw something fall to the ground.

'Wait!' he said, crawling over to it, but she'd already gone.

It was a book, and as Jack held it up to the light he saw the title. It was called Notable Pirates of the Last Century. Jack smirked and flicked through the pages. It fell open to a page in the middle, and it had obviously been opened to this page many times before. The corner of the page had been folded over many times, and a small piece of ribbon was tucked into the page to act as a bookmark. Jack smirked as he read the heading; Jack Sparrow.

'It's Captain Jack Sparrow,' he muttered to himself. 'Might have to write to the publishers and get them to correct that.'

Jack walked down the alley until he could see the dock. He watched as the girl walked across the wooden boards. She was accompanied by a man who must be her father, two men from the navy and a man Jack recognized. Jack gasped. It was the man who had been steering the Pearl when Jack had dreamed the future. Future Jack had called him Mr Gibbs. Maybe he was who the compass had led him to. Sure enough, when Jack flipped open his compass it pointed straight ahead at the small party waiting to board their ship.

Jack crept a bit closer and eavesdropped on their conversation.

'Lieutenant, it would seem Sparrow has escaped,' said one of the navy officers to the other.

'Sparrow?' said the girl. 'Captain Jack Sparrow? That's who the pirate is?'

The navy officers ignored her and Mr Gibbs led her away onto the ship. She turned around and saw Jack, and stared straight at him. Jack smiled at her and raised his hat to her. She smiled slightly and tipped her head slightly, as if considering Jack, before letting her father and Mr Gibbs lead her onto the ship.

Jack ran back to the shadows of the alley and sat down again, trying to decide what to do. His compass seemed to be trying to tell him to talk to Mr Gibbs, but that seemed hard at the moment considering how he'd just got on board a ship full of navy officers. Jack was confused. Gibbs himself had looked like he was in the navy, certainly not the pirate Jack had seen in the future. Perhaps Jack was supposed to turn him into a pirate.

The young girl had told him that they were sailing to Jamaica, so it seemed that if Jack was to speak to Gibbs, he would have to sail back there too. He sighed, feeling fed up. He'd spent five weeks on the rumrunners' ship trying to get here and now it seemed he's have to spend another five getting back again. Except now he still didn't have his own ship and he didn't think that the rumrunners would be too pleased to see him again, let alone offer him a ride back to the Caribbean.

Which left Jack with one option, commandeer a ship. He smiled. He hadn't had to do this in a while, so he'd probably be a bit rusty, but in a port like Plymouth, there were plenty of ships to choose from and a lot of sailors to hide amongst.

He stood up once more and walked slowly down the dock, his hat low over his eyes. Once he got to a less busy section of the dock, he made his way closer to the water. He saw a ship leaving the dock not too far out to sea. It would probably be his best bet, and would mean he didn't have to stay in England longer than necessary.

He found a small rowing boat tied up at the dock and carefully climbed in it, before untying it and pushing himself off. He gently rowed out to sea in order to catch the ship up, thankfully slipping away from the dock unnoticed.

He soon reached the ship and carefully climbed up a piece of rigging on the ship's hull. He pulled himself over the rail and crouched low behind some crates. It seemed to be a merchant ship, with quite a lot of sailors moving around on the deck. Perhaps it's wouldn't be the best idea to order the captain of the ship to sail where he wanted him to. Not with this many men on board, anyway. No, Jack would have to think of something else.

He was just about to climb back over the rail, when he heard two men talking.

'When we get to the Caribbean, I'm settling down,' said one man. 'I've had enough of sailing.'

The Caribbean? Jack smiled to himself. If this ship was already going where he wanted it to, there was nothing more for him to do than to sit down and let it take him there. He could stow away below deck and the crew would never have to know he was there. He was sure they would have plenty of food and drink down below, perhaps even some rum.

Jack climbed over the rail and traversed along the rigging until he got to a cannon. He maneuvered himself so that his feet were over the cannon and pushed it back. The cannon moved slightly, and he tried again, eventually making a gap big enough for him to crawl though. He climbed into the ship and looked around. It was dark, and seemed fairly empty, with the exception of a lot of barrels and boxes. Jack smiled. He had found the food store. Now he could spend the next five weeks hiding down here in the shadows until they reached the Caribbean. Not exactly what he's signed up for when he became a pirate, but when he was back in the Caribbean he could go to Tortuga and find himself a ship and a crew, and then he would be able to search for this Mr Gibbs, not to mention find and kill Barbossa.

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><p>I'd be grateful for reviews. I love to hear what people think. It makes me very happy. :) And then I update quicker, which makes you lot happy!<p> 


	7. Tortuga

I really loved writing this chapter. Hopefuly for those of you who'e been saying you're finding little thins Jack says funny, there should be a couple more in here for you!

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><p><strong>7. Tortuga<strong>

After five weeks in the ships food store, Jack was incredibly bored. He'd spent most of his time, sleeping and drinking the small amount of rum he'd found. At night, when most of the sailors were asleep, he would get up and explore bits of the ship, but during the day he had absolutely nothing to do. He'd spent the first couple of weeks reading the book that the girl had dropped. It was quite interesting, particularly reading his own pages in it. He was surprised just how many of the stories he'd made up about himself had been published. In the third week he'd found some old rags and given his sword and knife a polish. But there's only so much you can polish a sword before it's as shiny as it can get.

In the fourth week, one of Jack's nighttime explorations had led him to find some chalk on the ship. He'd eagerly taken this back to his little den, and most of the rest of the journey was spent decorating his dark space. He'd drawn pictures of his adventures, turning himself into a little cartoon figure. He'd drawn a beautiful drawing of his Pearl, every detail remembered. And one of Jack's favourites was the little drawing he'd done in the corner of all of the ways he could think of killing Barbossa.

When the ship arrived at the port in the Caribbean, Jack managed to sneak out of the hole he'd entered by and landed in the sea. He swum to land and eventually found out that they were in a port on the north of Haiti. Jack found a small rowing boat and started rowing west along the coast, hoping to reach Tortuga, which fortunately for him, wasn't too far away.

It was dark when he finally stepped off the small boat onto the dock at Tortuga. As he strode along the street into the centre of the town, he smiled, because for the first time in three months, he was somewhere he knew.

Jack spent a week in Tortuga. Having meant to look for a ship and a crew, he instead got distracted by the excitement of being in one of his favourite places. He spent a lot of the time with whores, or else in one of the many drinking establishments on the island, drinking rum until he passed out.

One evening, Jack walked into the Faithful Bride with the intention of doing just that. He looked around carefully. In order to avoid familiarity with anyone, he had tied his braided hair up on the top of his head and hidden it under his hat, which he wore low on his head to keep his face in the shadows.

He sidled up to the bar and ordered a mug of rum and took it over to a quiet corner of the tavern. If it was possible for a corner of the Faithful Bride to be quiet. The usual fights were going on, and everybody seemed oblivious to them. It was completely normal for this tavern to be in complete chaos.

As he drank his rum, he couldn't help but overhear the conversation of the three men sitting around the table nearest to where he was standing.

'… and then they marooned him on an island and left to search for the Aztec gold,' said one man.

'No?' said a second man. 'They never did?'

'Oh yes they did,' said the first man, and as Jack looked up, he recognized him. It was the man who'd been steering his ship when he'd been in the future, the man he'd seen when he'd been in England. Mr Gibbs.

'I never did like Barbossa,' said a third man. 'But leaving poor Jack Sparrow on an island to die.'

'Captain Jack Sparrow,' muttered Jack to himself, before walking over to the table.

'Mind if I join ye?' he asked and sat down on the fourth chair around the table.

'We were just discussin' Jack Sparrow.

Jack bit his lips to prevent himself correcting Gibbs.

'Barbossa marooned him on an island,' said the second man.

'Oh, I know,' said Jack. 'Dreadful, isn't it?'

'Sparrow was one o' the best pirates in the Caribbean,' said the third man.

'Oh I'd say he was the best,' said Gibbs, and Jack smiled to himself. Yes, he could definitely see why this man was steering the Pearl in the future. 'After all, he was the Pirate Lord o' the Caribbean. It's a shame he's no longer with us. His death was a great tragedy. Tortuga won't be the same without all the gossip about his latest adventures.'

Jack smirked again.

'I think it serves Barbossa right,' said the second man. 'This curse. He deserves it.'

'What curse?' asked Jack.

'Have ye not heard the stories?' asked Gibbs and Jack shook his head. 'When Barbossa marooned Jack, they set off in search of the Aztec gold of Cortes. They ignored the legends that say the treasure be cursed, bein' too greedy to care. Only when they found the treasure, the curse were bestowed upon 'em.'

'A curse? What kind of curse?'

'Apparently they can't be killed,' said Gibbs, a glint in his eye. 'They be immortal.'

'Only that makes it a damn sight more inconvenient fer the rest of us,' said the third man. 'If the crew o' the Black Pearl are can't die.'

Barbossa immortal. That had certainly changed things for Jack.

'Seems like a good thing fer Sparrow that he was marooned after all,' said Gibbs. 'Else he'd be cursed too.'

'I think being immortal would appeal to Captain Sparrow,' said Jack. 'It'd make it easier for him against the East India Trading Company. I heard they have a large sum on his death.'

'Don't make no difference now Sparrow's dead though, does it?'

'How can you be so certain Sparrow is dead?' asked Jack.

'He was marooned on that island!' laughed the second man. 'He might be a clever man, but the point of bein' marooned is that ye die on the island.'

'Oh really?' asked Jack and the three men looked at him curiously. 'Cause I heard a rumour he's escaped.'

'Impossible!' said the second man.

The third man shook his head too. Only Gibbs seemed to believe Jack.

'Go on,' he prompted.

'I heard that when he got marooned on that island, he stood knee deep in the sea for three days,' said Jack, a smile playing across his face as he relished making up yet another noble escape for himself. 'Three days he stood there, until all of the fish and sea creatures in those waters grew accustomed to him being there. Then on the third day, he took a couple o' sea turtles and roped them together, using them as a raft to get away from the island until he was close enough to a port to swim to the mainland.'

'Yer saying he escaped from that island using sea turtles?' asked the second man, doubtfully.

'Aye, sea turtles,' said Jack.

'Didn't I tell ye Jack Sparrow was the greatest pirate in the Caribbean?' said Gibbs, slapping the other two men on the back.

'Aye, ye did,' said the second man, before standing up. 'I'd best be goin'. Me ship sails in the mornin'. I'll need a bit o' sleep.'

'And me,' said the third man. 'See ye Gibbs.'

The two men left, leaving just Jack and Gibbs sitting at the table.

'So, tell me about yerself,' said Gibbs. 'What are ye doin' in Tortuga?'

'I'm looking for a ship and a crew,' said Jack.

'Tortuga be the right place fer ye to be lookin'!' said Gibbs.

'Mr Gibbs, I was wondering if you'd like to join me crew,' said Jack. 'When I've got a ship, that is.'

'I'm flattered,' said Gibbs. 'But I don't know the first thing about ye.'

'Mr Gibbs, do you know who I am?' asked Jack, lowering his voice.

Gibbs shrugged and shook his head. Jack removed his hat and let his braided hair fall down past his shoulders. Gibbs' eyes widened.

'No,' he said softly. 'It can't be. If it ain't Jack Sparrow?'

'Captain Jack Sparrow,' Jack said. 'When I find meself a new ship. I think ye know the stories of what happened to me old one.'

'The island,' spluttered Gibbs. 'Barbossa. The mutiny. The sea turtles.'

'Aye, the sea turtles.'

'Ye did escape?' asked Gibbs.

'So it would seem.'

'Well, Captain Sparrow,' he replied. 'I'd be honoured to join yer crew. On one condition, though. We don't go chasin' after the Pearl and it's immortal crew.'

'We won't be doing that,' said Jack. 'Not yet anyway.'

'Let's sleep on it, eh cap'n? Then first thing in the mornin' we'll find ye a crew and a ship. I think I know just the person to help us.'

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><p>Thank you for all the reiews. A particularly big thanks to all my regular reviewers. It's great to know you're still enjoying it.<p>

I make it about four or five chapters until Elizabeth makes her first real appearance. :D


	8. Ana Maria

This chapter is my version of another past event mentioned in the films. Enjoy! :)

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><p><strong>8. Ana Maria<strong>

Jack was woken in the morning by Gibbs, who told him that he'd found somebody willing to let Jack captain their ship.

'It's not the grandest of vessels,' said Gibbs. 'And there's only a crew of eleven, thirteen if you include us, but it'll do until we can find something better.'

Jack and Gibbs left the inn they'd been staying in and headed down to the dock. Gibbs led Jack up a gangplank onto an average-sized ship called the Ocean Raider. Jack wandered around, inspecting it. He peered into the cabin, checked below deck and the brig and ran his hands over the railings and the wheel.

'Yep,' he said after a while. 'It'll do. Perhaps not what I'm used to with the Pearl, but not everybody can afford a ship that magnificent.'

'Get off my ship!' yelled a woman walking up the gangplank.

'Your ship?' asked Jack. 'Darling, this is my ship now. Savvy?'

The woman opened her mouth to retaliate, but Gibbs walked up behind her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

'Ana,' he said. 'This would be Jack.'

The woman walked up to Jack and looked him up and down.

'So this is Captain Jack Sparrow,' she said, before slapping him.

'Ow! What was that for? I definitely did not deserve that!'

'That,' she said, 'was for calling me 'darling'. It's Ana Maria to you.'

'Aye,' said Jack, putting on a smile.

'So why should I let you be captain of my ship?' asked Ana Maria.

'Isn't it obvious?' asked Jack and she shook her head. 'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Why shouldn't I be captain of your ship?'

'Because you're a rum-drinking bastard who was useless enough to get himself marooned by his first mate,' answered Ana Maria.

That was not the answer Jack had been expecting.

'But I managed to escape, didn't I?' grinned Jack. 'That's got to count fer something.'

'I want fifty percent of everything we earn,' said Ana Maria.

'Fifty? Ain't that a bit steep, love? Fifteen?'

'Forty!'

'Let's say thirty, and I'll give you some special priveleges on board the ship,' said Jack.

He put his arm around Ana Maria's shoulder.

'I know how to give a woman what she wants,' he whispered seductively into her ear. 'I can show ye if ye like. Later, in the cabin.'

Ana pushed Jack's arm off her shoulder.

'I can protect ye from the rest o' the crew,' said Jack. 'If they make advances on ye.'

'They're my crew,' said Ana. 'I don't need protecting. They know not to make advances on me. Unlike some people.'

Jack ignored her.

'So, am I hired?' he asked.

She turned to face him.

'I suppose you'll have to do.'

'Excellent!' said Jack. 'I say we set sail first thing in the morning. But how about ye pop round to me cabin tonight? We'll drink to the ship's future together and have a good time. If ye know what I mean.'

'If you're offering me dinner, then I won't refuse,' said Ana Maria.

'Sundown tonight it is then,' said Jack. 'I look forward to it Ana Maria.'

She turned away and left the ship, leaving Jack and Gibbs alone on the deck.

'I'm sorry about Ana,' said Gibbs. 'She's a tough 'un, but all I could find at such short notice. And I know it's bad luck to have a woman on board…'

'I don't think I could get much worse luck that I had on the Pearl, and we didn't have a woman on board,' said Jack, before grinning. 'But I'm sure I'll get to know Ana Maria very well indeed.'

'Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that cap'n' laughed Gibbs.

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><p>Jack spent the day in Tortuga, making sure that the Ocean Raider was fully stocked up on food, and more importantly, rum. Gibbs introduced him to the rest of the crew, who seemed normal enough as pirates go, and Jack had a word with the ship's cook about getting him to make dinner for himself and Ana Maria that evening.<p>

Sundown came, and there was a knock on the cabin door. Ana Maria entered.

'Ana Maria,' said Jack. 'So good to see ye again.'

'If only I could say the same Captain Sparrow,' she replied.

'Call me Jack,' he said with a smile.

He poured two glasses of rum and they went to sit down at the table in the centre of the cabin; The cook had prepared a simple meal which lay waiting for them. They ate the meal, chatting amicably about various things. Jack boasted about his escapades, some of which were true, many more of which were creations of his own imagination. He was surprised to hear that Ana Maria had many stories of her own to tell him.

By the time they had finished the meal, they were most of the way through a second bottle of rum, and Ana Maria seemed to have relaxed. Jack had tried his best to be pleasant and un-womanising throughout the evening and she seemed to be enjoying herself and his company.

She stood to leave and Jack got to his feet too, stepping so that they were only a foot apart. She looked up at him.

'Thank you for tonight Jack,' she said. 'You know, you're actually quite a nice person, now that I've got to know you a bit better.'

'I like you too Ana,' Jack murmured. 'I like you a lot.'

He leaned forwards and kissed her, gently brushing his lips against hers. As she kissed him back he moved his hands to her waist. The kiss deepened and Jack pushed Ana back against the cabin wall, her arms wrapping around his neck. He moved his lips to her throat, licking up her jawline and nipping her ear, then returning to explore her mouth with his tongue.

His hand moved to her front and he started unbuttoning her shirt. When he got to the third button, she froze and pushed him away.

'What's the matter love?' he whispered against her ear as he fumbled with the buttons.

She swatted his hand away.

'I can't do this,' she said, pushing him off her and moving away.

'Come on darling,' he begged. 'We both know it's what ye want.'

'I don't want it,' she said. 'I can't have any sort of relationship between me and you messing up the way we run this ship. I'm sorry Jack.'

She left the cabin, closing the door behind her. Jack sighed, finishing off the second bottle of rum and slamming it on the table.

'Stupid woman,' he muttered. 'All I wanted was a bit o' fun. Did I say I wanted a relationship? No I bloody well didn't! Honestly! Women!'

He muttered for himself for a few more minutes, taking off his effects, boots and vest, lying down on the bed in just his shirt and breeches. He fell asleep minutes later, still cursing Ana Maria in his head.

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><p>Jack woke very early the next morning. The sun was just starting to appear over the horizon. Gibbs and some of the crew were also awake, preparing the ship for departure.<p>

'Mr Gibbs, what is the earliest we can leave?' asked Jack, strolling up to him.

'I'd say in 'bout half an hour,' said Gibbs, staring out to sea. 'The wind's in our favour and the weather looks fine today.'

'Good,' said Jack. 'I want to leave as soon as we can. Wake the rest of the crew up and tell them we're leaving now.'

Half an hour later, they were sailing away from Tortuga.

'Captain?' said Gibbs. 'Pardon me if it ain't me business, but where's Ana?'

'Who?' asked Jack.

'Ana,' said Gibbs. 'Woman who owns the ship?'

'Oh Ana,' said Jack, smiling. 'I took yer advice Mr Gibbs.'

'And which advice would that be?' he asked.

'When ye said it was bad luck to have a woman on board,' said Jack. 'I decided I wouldn't want any more bad luck so I left her behind.'

'Ye left Ana behind?' asked Gibbs. 'And is Ana happy with yer decision?'

Jack walked to the back of the ship, took out his telescope and looked back to the dock, smirking as he saw Ana Maria visibly yelling and waving angrily as the Ocean Raider left the bay.

'It would appear not,' he said with a laugh, handing Gibbs the telescope so he could take a look.

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head.

'Captain, yer the only pirate I've met who's managed to persuade somebody to let ye steal their ship.'

'Mr Gibbs, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!'


	9. Broken Compass

A bit of a fill in chapter, but bits of it are slightly important, even if they don't seem it now.

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><p><strong>9. Broken Compass<strong>

'Do we have a heading cap'n?' asked Gibbs.

'Aye,' said Jack and he unclipped his compass from his belt, flipping it open.

The arrow spun, then pointed in the direction that the ship was sailing in.

'It appears we're going the right way,' said Jack, tying the helm down so that he could leave it unmanned.

'If ye don't mind me saying cap'n, but isn't that compass o' yours broke?' asked Gibbs.

Jack opened it again and it was still pointing in the same direction.

'Nope,' said Jack, flipping it shut. 'Seems fine to me.'

'But it ain't pointing north,' said Gibbs.

Jack started walking along the ship and Gibbs followed him.

'Mr Gibbs, I'm going to ask ye something,' said Jack. 'How many times have you ever gone looking for north?'

Gibbs spluttered, speechless.

'Well, I don't suppose I ever have,' he replied.

'Exactly,' said Jack. 'Does that answer your question?'

'No, not really,' said Gibbs. 'If the compass don't point north, how are we supposed to find our way?'

'I just told you, we don't want to find north,' said Jack.

He took the compass and giving it to Gibbs. Gibbs flipped it open and watched it spin and then point to himself. He looked down and saw that the arrow was pointing at the flask dangling from his belt, then looked up at Jack with raised eyebrows.

'That's an interestin' piece o' equipment you've got there cap'n,' he said.

'Aye, Gibbs,' replied Jack. 'So what you want most in the world is rum, and I don't blame ye. What I want most in the world is in that direction.'

Jack pointed in the direction that the ship was heading.

'And what would it be that's in that direction that you be wanting?'

'If I knew I'd tell ye,' sighed Jack. 'The thing is, I don't. Yesterday I would have said it were Barbossa and the Pearl, but upon hearing of their latest … predicament … I can't say I want to find them any time soon. So until I work out what I want, I want to follow what the compass tells me I want. Savvy?'

'Aye cap'n,' said Gibbs. 'That way it is.'

* * *

><p>The Ocean Raider sailed for the whole of the day and the whole of the night. Jack spent the evening in his cabin with his charts and the compass, trying to work out where it was the ship was going. After an hour or two of consulting various maps and plotting routes on them, he eventually reached the conclusion that they were heading to the south of Jamaica.<p>

They sailed for another two days until they were due south of Kingston and the compass was pointing north. Jack stood at the helm with Gibbs.

'Cap'n, where is the compass pointing?' asked Gibbs.

'North,' said Jack bitterly.

Gibbs sighed and shook his head.

'Something the matter Mr Gibbs?' asked Jack.

'No, it's just north of here is Port Royal.'

'There's no need to remind me.'

'So I'm not the only one who isn't looking forward to going there?' asked Gibbs, surprised.

'It has the largest navy in Jamaica,' said Jack. 'Why would a pirate choose to go there?'

Gibbs nodded, accepting Jack's point.

'Why don't you want to go there?'

'I were in the navy,' said Gibbs. 'I sailed to Port Royal from England. They sacked me fer drinking on the job. I'd rather avoid them.'

'You sailed from Plymouth,' said Jack, remembering when he'd been in England.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

'So it was you that they were tryin' to catch?'

'They tried and failed miserably,' Jack said with a smile.

'Aye,' said Gibbs. 'Yer Cap'n Jack Sparrow.'

'Mr Gibbs, you took the words right out of me mouth! Now, we can either go to Port Royal now and see what it is my compass is pointing to, or we can sit here for days putting off the moment and end up going to Port Royal in the end anyway, only we'll probably have run out of rum by then.'

'Should we ready the longboats and sail north cap'n?'

'Aye Mr Gibbs, I think we should.'

* * *

><p>It was eventually decided that Jack would go alone to Port Royal, with only two of the crew rowing him there in a longboat. They would stay with the boat while Jack found out what his compass was pointing to, and they would return by nightfall.<p>

Jack stepped out of the longboat and onto the wooden decking leading up to the town. He opened his compass and followed it down many narrow streets until he was completely lost. He eventually made it out of the town onto a long lane that led up to a house on the hill. Looking up at the distant house, he could see it had large iron gates, and also that there were several members of the navy stood on guard at the gates.

Jack sighed and opened his compass, but was surprised to see that the arrow which minutes before had been pointing in the direction of the big house was now pointing behind him. He shook it, but it still pointed back into the town. He followed it, to find it was leading him to a bottle of rum somebody had left on the side of the road.

Jack picked up the bottle and uncorked it, taking a swig. It didn't taste any different to normal rum. He kicked a barrel angrily and decided to make his way back to the dock, hoping he'd be able to find his way back there.

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><p>An hour later, Jack climbed back onto the Ocean Raider.<p>

'Well cap'n?' asked Gibbs as Jack walked angrily across the deck. 'Did ye find what yer compass was pointing to?'

'Yes I did,' said Jack moodily.

'And?' asked Gibbs hopefully.

'A bloody bottle of rum!' said Jack holding it up. 'Doesn't seem to be special in any way at all.'

'But we have rum on the ship!' said Gibbs.

'Yes, that's the most confusing thing,' said Jack. 'I'm going to my cabin.'

Jack sat at the table in his cabin and placed the bottle of rum he'd acquired in Port Royal on the table in front of him. He took another bottle from his cupboard and put it on the table next to the other one. He then placed his compass exactly halfway between the two bottles and opened the lid. He watched as the compass pointed first to one bottle, then the other, then back to the first, spinning madly between the two bottles.

Jack sighed irritably. Had the compass really led him to Port Royal just to collect a bottle of rum which now proved to be no different to the rum he already had on his ship? Jack came to the conclusion that the compass he always told people wasn't broken, was indeed broken.


	10. Tia Dalma

Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the rest. I know it's really bad too, but I've been putting off writing it for ages. I just hate Tia Dalma so much, but I sort of had to include this chapter. :( But while I was putting off writing this chapter, I've written quite a few of the ones after this, so providing people are still interested and review letting me know their thoughts, I should be able to carry on updating quickly. :)

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><p><strong>10. Tia Dalma<strong>

'Mr Gibbs,' said Jack. 'Do you know where the Pantano River is?'

'Cuba, isn't it?'

'Aye,' said Jack. 'Do you think you can help me guide us there?'

'Aye, cap'n,' said Gibbs. 'Is this another errand for yer compass?'

'I'm going there to fix my compass,' said Jack.

'I thought the point of yer compass was that it's broken,' replied Gibbs. 'So why would we want to fix it?'

'Because now it really is broken,' said Jack. 'It's not pointing to what I want and until it does then I can't use it to sail anywhere. I might even have to invest in a normal compass!'

'Invest?'

'By invest, I mean steal, Mr Gibbs,' said Jack. 'I wouldn't want to waste money that I don't have on a compass that I don't want!'

'Aye cap'n!'

* * *

><p>Upon reaching the mouth of the Pantano River, Jack, Gibbs and four of the other crew members set out in a longboat down the river, leaving the remaining six of the crew keeping watch on the ship. Jack stood at the front of the boat, directing the others as they rowed it. They soon reached a small hut on the river bank and Jack got out of the boat, instructing the others to stay behind. He walked up to the hut and slowly pushed open the door.<p>

The room was dimly lit and full of lots of little bits of what appeared to be junk.

'Jack Sparrow,' said a voice and a woman emerged from a shadowy corner.

'Tia Dalma,' said Jack.

'And what brings Jack Sparrow 'ere?' asked Tia, stepping close.

'This,' said Jack, taking a step back from Tia and taking his compass off his belt. 'It's broken. You gave it to me, you can fix it.'

'I though' ya knew it don't poin' north when I gave it ya Jack,' said Tia. 'I told ya it point ta what ya wan' most in this worl'. Or were ya not lis'ning ta me.'

'No I was listening,' said Jack. 'But now it's stopped pointing to what I want most.'

Tia took the compass of Jack and opened it, before shutting it again.

'It ain't broke,' she said.

'Well in that case, is there anything special about this?' asked Jack, reaching inside his coat and pulling out the bottle of rum he'd found in Port Royal. 'The compass led me across the Caribbean to this. Why?'

Tia opened the bottle and sniffed it, before tasting a bit.

'Because ya like rum Jack?' she suggested.

'Yes, but I've got rum on me ship.'

'Mebbe ya changed yer mind on what ya wan' when ya got ta Por' Royal?'

'Ye mean I have to go back there?'

'Ya don't have ta do anything Jack,' said Tia. 'But if ya don', then ya'll have ta find yersel' another compass. Or change wha' ya wan'.'

'But I don't know what I want!' said Jack. 'I want treasure and women and rum, but any woman or bottle of rum, not one that I have to risk getting caught by the navy to get.'

They sat in silence for a minute.

'Jack,' said Tia. 'What if the compass were pointin' at summat you don't know is there?'

'Can it do that?' asked Jack.

'It's done it before,' replied Tia.

Jack remembered back to when Barbossa marooned him on the island and the compass had led him to the supply of rum he didn't know was there. So what was to say the compass wouldn't do it again?

'So there's something in Port Royal that I don't know what it is but the compass does and I'm just meant to go running off at risk of being imprisoned by the navy to find this thing that I don't know what it is?' asked Jack.

'If ya want, Jack,' she said.

'One last thing before I go,' said Jack. 'Barbossa. The curse.'

'The only way they can be free of it is ta replace all the gold back where it came from,' said Tia. 'With blood payment. There ain't nothin' ya can do. It's all up ta them.'

'Bugger.'

Jack left the hut and returned to the crew in the longboat. As they rowed back to the Ocean Raider, Jack lost himself in his thoughts. He really didn't want to have to go back to Port Royal. So the only other thing he could do was get himself a new compass and go about his normal pirating without risking getting caught by the Royal Navy any more than necessary. And hopefully, soon he would forget about whatever it was that he wanted in Port Royal and his compass would start working again.

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><p>As an apology for the dreadfulness of this chapter, I will probably post the next one tonight or tomorrow morning. :)<p>

Elizabeth comes in in chapter 12, so get ready to get excited! :D

Reviews please, as always! :D

Much love! xxx


	11. Dinghy

I was going to have a couple of random little adventures making up the next eight years, but decided I couldn't be bothered and just got on with the story!

The next section of this story skims over the films. I've tried to only include bits where Jack has had signifcant thoughts about Elizabeth, or bits where it's relevant to what I'm intending to do later in the story. I've tried to keep it as brief as possible, but sorry if it's boring because you've seen it before. I've managed to ge CotBP into about five chapters. :) The other two films will have more of my own scenes added in between the ones we're familiar with.

**Disclaimer: **I'm probably supposed to do one of these, especially as I'm actually stealing bits of the films. If you recognise it, it isn't mine. If you don't then it probably is. :)

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><p><strong>11. Dinghy<strong>

Eight years later, Jack found himself in a dinghy in the ocean not far out of Port Royal.

For the first six years, Jack sailed on the Ocean Raider with Gibbs and the crew, looting ships, drinking rum and having a good time. They sailed the Caribbean, often venturing further if there was a particular treasure in their sight, but always returning to Tortuga to drink and have whores. Jack made several trips back to Port Royal, without success, often having to make emergency escapes due to the navy. Jack soon realised that the compass only pointed there when he was sober and was more than happy to solve that problem. They earned quite a name for themselves and Jack once again found himself a target of the navy, escaping them time and time again, if they didn't sink the navy ship first.

It was one such encounter that put an end to these happy years. They were returning to Tortuga from a finding a treasure on an island in the south of the Caribbean and while the celebrations had been well-deserved, it hadn't perhaps been the wisest idea to get the whole crew so drunk that not a single person was sober enough to tell one end of a sword from the other. Fortunately, Jack had managed to pull the ship away before too many holes had been blown in it and the ship made it to Tortuga before it sunk. However, the repairs would have been expensive and while Jack had spent that much on the Pearl before, he wasn't prepared to spend that much on a ship he didn't love, especially as most of the crew were so drunk that they showed no interest in staying with him if the ship did sail again.

So Jack let the ship go, selling it for a small price to a young pirate who didn't realize it wouldn't be worth the repair work.

Jack couldn't remember most of the next year. He'd spent a lot of time in Tortuga, often drunk or in the company of one of the many women on the island he was acquainted with, sometimes even both at the same time. He'd stowed away on a rum merchant ship for a month or two. It might have been longer, he couldn't quite remember as he'd spent the whole time that he was onboard drinking the large supply of rum.

After another couple of months in Tortuga, he'd set out in the same little dinghy he was currently sat in, in the hope of finding a ship to commandeer. However, upon arriving on an island which he'd decided to spend a few days resting on, he'd found himself abducted by a strange tribe of people. He spent the first week in a cage, before they decided to take him out and promptly started worshipping him. Realising they were cannibals, he went along with their belief that he was their God, and soon found himself as their chief. He learnt that they were the Pelegostos and he learned bits of their language, or enough of it to get by on.

He also learnt that they planned to eat him, under the pretenses of 'releasing him from his human body', and soon hatched an escape plan, fleeing the island in the same dinghy he'd arrived in. Following the compass had led him once again to Port Royal.

Unfortunately, months lying on a beach on the Pelegosto island had left the small boat a bit worse for wear, and Jack now spent the majority of the time in the boat using a bucket to empty the water from the bottom in order to prevent it from sinking. Jack had decided that he had no choice but to stop at Port Royal to find an alternative boat, as he couldn't keep going with this bucket all the way to Tortuga. And when he arrived at Port Royal, he was delighted to see that there were several large navy ships that seemed relatively unguarded. The only thing more satisfying than stealing a ship was stealing a ship from the navy.

He stepped off his dinghy, or what was left of it above the water, and walked into town, avoiding having to give the harbormaster his name and stealing a purse of coins in the process. He was surprised at the lack of security from the navy, but when he asked a citizen of the town, he was told that there was some ceremony going on at Fort Charles. It seemed Jack had picked the right day to turn up in Port Royal.

Flipping open his compass, he saw that the needle pointed to the Fort. He sighed. There was no way he was going up to the place where nearly the whole of the navy in the town was gathered. He'd just have to get on with commandeering a ship.

He crept down to the dock and set his eyes on the large vessel closest to the dock. That would be Jack's target. He strode confidently towards it, only to be stopped by two navy officers.

'This dock is off limits to civilians,' said one of the men.

'I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately,' said Jack, trying to walk past the men, but they stepped in front of him again. 'Apparently there's some sort of high toned and fancy to do up at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?'

'Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians,' replied the man.

'It's a fine goal to be sure but it seems to me that a ship like that,' he said pointing to a ship in the distance, 'makes this one here a bit superfluous, really.'

'Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough, but there's no ship as can match the Interceptor for speed,' said the man.

'I've heard of one, supposed to be very fast, nigh un-catchable,' said Jack. 'The Black Pearl.'

'Well, there's no real ship as can match the Interceptor,' said the second man.

'The Black Pearl is a real ship,' said the first man.

'No, no it's not.'

'Yes, it is, I've seen it.'

'You've seen it?'

'Yes.'

'You haven't seen it.'

'Yes, I have.'

Jack rolled his eyes as the men argued.

'You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out?'

'No.'

'No.'

'But I have seen a ship with black sails.'

Jack decided that the men were too busy arguing and slipped away, across the dock and up the gangplank onto the ship. He made his way up to the helm and stood looking down over what would now be his ship.

Unfortunately, the two men had noticed his absence and had now joined Jack on the deck of the Interceptor.

'Hey! You! Get away from there!' shouted the first man.

'You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate,' said the second man.

'I'm sorry, it's just – it's such a pretty boat … ship,' said Jack.

'What's your name?'

'Smith. Or Smithy, if you like,' replied Jack.

'What's your purpose in Port Royal , Mr. Smith?'

'Yeah, and no lies.'

'Well, then, I confess, it is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out!'

'I said no lies!'

'I think he's telling the truth,' said the second man.

'If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us,' argued the first man.

'Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you,' said Jack.

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><p>Apparently, this story has 1839 hits. Which is amazing, but I only have 19 reviews. So please can I have some more? :D xx<p> 


	12. Lizzie

_*Manechka: I promise I haven't just written out the whole script from the films! I'm just putting in the important bits and skimming over most of it, as well as adding in a few scenes of my own to fill in bits for my plot. Since Jack meets Lizzie in this chapter, I couldn't really axe it. Sorry if it's boring you. I've taken on your advice and have gone over the next few chapters which I'd already written and cut out some pretty large unnecessary chunks. Thank you, reviews like yours are helpful. :)_

Here's the next chapter! :)

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><p><strong>12. Lizzie<strong>

The two men refused to believe Jack and he ended up telling them the whole story, from when the Ocean Raider was sunk, although he deliberately neglected to tell them it was the navy who left the ship in its damaged state in case they realize he was an enemy of the navy, though he highly doubted it. They didn't seem the most intelligent types.

He skimmed briefly over his time in Tortuga and eventually told them about sailing to the island. He was just telling them about the Pelegostos when they heard a splash in the water, causing Jack and the two men turned to face the cliff behind them. Jack could see a waves rippling out from where a woman had landed in the water and saw a couple of men stood on the battlements of the fort looking down.

'Will you be saving her then?' Jack asked the men.

'I can't swim!'

'Pride of the King's navy you are,' said Jack, taking off his hat, coat and effects and handing them to the men. 'Do not lose these!'

Jack dived into the water and swum down to the sea floor. As he did so, he felt a shockwave ripple through the water. He wondered briefly what had caused it, but continued swimming down to the bottom of the ocean. He saw the woman and wrapped his arms around her waist, kicking down and using the seabed to push them back up to the surface. When his face broke the surface, he struggled to keep them both afloat and he tore off the woman's dress. He swum strongly back to the dock and one of the men helped lift the woman out of the water.

'She's not breathing!'

'Move!' said Jack climbing out of the water and scrambling over to the woman, ripping open her corset. She coughed up some water and gasped for breath. Jack looked down at the woman in shock. It was Lizzie, the girl he'd seen his future self kissing, the mother of his son. She was noticeably younger than he'd seen her in the future, but it was definitely her. He was surprised to see her, as he'd nearly forgotten about her over the past eight years. He'd almost accepted he would never find her.

'I never would've thought of that,' said the second man.

'Clearly you've never been to Singapore,' said Jack, before noticing a medallion around Lizzie's neck. It was one of the Aztec coins from the Isla de Muerta, one of the coins that Jack knew Barbossa was looking for. 'Where did you get that?'

'On your feet!' said an important looking navy officer as he walked towards Jack with his sword drawn.

'Elizabeth!' said an older man, wrapping his coat around the woman and hugging her close. 'Are you alright?'

'Yes, I'm fine,' Lizzie replied, and the man who Jack assumed from his wig was the governor, and probably Lizzie's father, looked across the man Jack had thrown Lizzie's corset to, who dropped it an pointed to Jack.

'Shoot him!' said the Governor.

'Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?' asked Lizzie and as the officers lowered their weapons, Jack nodded his thanks to Lizzie. He could certainly see why future Jack had taken such a liking to her. He also noticed how attractive she looked wearing just her underdress. He had to suppress thoughts of desire as he saw that the dress was ever so slightly see-through from the water.

'I believe thanks are in order,' said the Commodore, offering Jack his hand. Jack took it tentatively, only for the Commodore to grasp it firmly and push up Jack's sleeve, revealing the 'P' that had been branded on his arm many years ago. 'Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?

'Hang him, said the Governor.

'Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette , fetch some irons,' said the Commodore, pushing the sleeve up further to reveal Jack's tattoo. 'Well, well, Jack Sparrow , isn't it?

'_Captain_ Jack Sparrow , if you please, sir.'

'Well, I don't see your ship, _Captain_.'

'I'm in the market as it were.'

'He said he'd come to commandeer one,' said one of the men.

'Told you he was telling the truth. These are his, sir,' said the other, handing Jack's effects to the Commodore. He looked through them and smirked.

'No additional shots or powder. A compass that doesn't point north,' said the Commodore, unsheathing the sword. 'And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.'

'But you have heard of me,' said Jack with a smile, and the Commodore dragged him along the dock to be put in chains.

'Commodore, I really must protest,' said Lizzie, following them. 'Pirate or not this man saved my life.'

'One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness,' said the Commodore.

'Though it seems enough to condemn him,' said Jack bitterly.

'Indeed.'

Gillette finished securing the irons around his wrist and moved away.

'Finally,' said Jack and he threw the irons around Lizzie's neck, the chain pressing into her throat.

'No, don't shoot!' shouted the Governor.

'I knew you'd warm up to me. Commodore Norrington, my effects, please, and my hat. Commodore! Elizabeth. It is Elizabeth isn't it?'

'It's Miss Swann,' she replied angrily.

'Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind. Come, come, dear. We don't have all day. Now if you'd be very kind,' said Jack, smiling across at Norrington as Elizabeth put his hat on his head and strapped his sword around his waist. He loved the feeling of her so close to him and noticed that she smelled so lovely. And so clean. He was finding it incredibly hard not to kiss her, not to rip that thin underdress off and ravish her right here, but something inside his brain told him that he shouldn't. She was far too intoxicating to him and the thought worried him. 'Easy on the goods, darling.'

'You're despicable,' she told him.

'Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you save mine, we're square,' he said, spinning her back around. 'Gentlemen, m'lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!'

He pushed her back towards Norrington and her father, then turned, grabbed a rope and kicked a switch which hauled him up into the air. He clung on for dear life as he swung round and round on the end of the rope. As the men on the ground fired at him he swung and landed on a wooden pole, flinging his chains over a rope and slid along it down to the ground. He ran away from the officers who were shooting at him, across a bridge and down a few streets in the town. He hid behind a statue while the officers ran past, and when it was quiet, he slipped inside the blacksmith's shop next to the statue, hoping to be able to remove his irons.

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><p>Thanks for the many reviews, keep them coming!<p> 


	13. Turner

**13. Turner**

Jack woke up later that evening in a cell. The back of his head was throbbing, and he vaguely remembered being hit by something, but he couldn't remember what. He did remember the fight with the young man at the blacksmith's and that he had met his match in the boy, only to be knocked out by something when he pulled his pistol out to swing the fight back in his favour.

Jack sat up and moved to the corner of the cell, after briefly checking the cell door and deciding there was no way out, unless he resorted to what the idiots in the cell next door were doing and trying to lure the dog with the key towards them.

'You can keep doing that forever, the dog is never going to move,' said Jack impatiently.

'Oh, excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet,' replied one of the prisoners.

Jack turned away and thought about the events of the day. He'd finally met Lizzie, or Elizabeth Swann, as he now knew she was called. It had come as a great shock, not just because it had been eight years and he'd almost forgotten about her, but also because he hadn't expected her to be a governor's daughter. When Jack had seen her in the future, she had definitely looked like a pirate through and through, tanned from time spent out in the air and wearing pirate clothes. It seemed like two opposites, and Jack wondered how a woman as Lizzie was now could possibly change into a pirate.

But there had been the medallion around her neck. It was a pirate medallion and Jack couldn't help but wonder how she had acquired it. He'd heard rumours that Barbossa had managed to distribute the coins quite well before he realized he needed them to lift the curse, but he didn't expect someone so decidedly un-pirate to own one. Lizzie's father hadn't looked like the sort of person to allow his daughter to buy trinkets like that. Perhaps she was more of a pirate than Jack gave her credit for and had stolen it.

With the exception of his current circumstances, it had turned out to be quite a good day. Jack was already drawing up plans of what he could do if he escaped from prison, generally involving trading the medallion with Barbossa for the Pearl and seducing Lizzie into his bed in the process. He wondered if the lad he'd fought in the blacksmith's would be willing to assist him. He had said that he didn't associate with pirates, but Jack could definitely benefit with a swordsman like him on his side if he faced Barbossa, and he had mentioned knowing Lizzie.

The next morning followed the attack on Port Royal by the Black Pearl. The fact that Barbossa had come to Port Royal, where one of the medallions he was searching for just happened to be, was too much of a coincidence to Jack and he was forced to admit that as the Pearl had retreated without destroying the entire town, they had acquired the medallion, which left him with no prospect of trading it for the Pearl. Still, the second part of his plan could yet come into action, and Jack smiled at this prospect.

Fortunately for Jack, he'd been rescued from his cell by the blacksmith he'd fought with the day before. To Jack's surprise, the lad had turned out to be none other than Will Turner, the son of Jack's old friend 'Bootstrap' Turner. Jack decided that he was going to use this to his advantage and trade Will with Barbossa for the Pearl, hopefully gaining Lizzie in the process.

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><p>Jack stood on the deck of the Interceptor, which he had commandeered with Will's help.<p>

'So tell me Mr Turner,' said Jack. 'What is it about young Miss Swann that makes her so worthy of our time to rescue?'

'She's a good friend,' said Will.

'Just a good friend?' asked Jack. 'Not anything more?'

'I am a blacksmith,' said Will. 'She is the governor's daughter. Soceity wouldn't allow us to be anything more than friends.'

'Ah, but you're not denying that you want to be more than friends,' said Jack.

'Miss Swann has been good to me,' replied Will, slightly angrily. 'I owe it to her.'

'And if you rescue her, you might win the lass's heart in the process, eh?'

'She saved my life once,' admitted Will. 'I want to return the favour, and make it up to her for how good she's been to me over the years by saving hers.'

'Ah, a man of honour,' said Jack. 'One little bit of advice, Mr Turner. Pirates do not have honour. If yer going to go charging onto the Black Pearl to bring your darling Miss Swann back, I strongly advise that ye leave all of yer honour behind. Barbossa in particular is not one for honesty and trust. I speak from experience.'

'What experience?' asked Will curiously.

'It doesn't matter,' said Jack, dismissing him quickly. 'It was a long time ago. When ye were still a lad.'

'Does this have anything to do with my father?'

Jack ignored the question.

'Captain Sparrow?'

'Be a darling and raise the foresail, William,' said Jack.

'Captain Sparrow, what connection did my father have with Barbossa being dishonest?'

'Your father was a man of honour too, just like you,' said Jack impatiently. 'He stood up to Barbossa when he betrayed me, and it didn't end well, okay? Now will you go and raise the damn sail!'

Will apologised and walked away to the front of the ship, leaving an angry Jack at the helm.

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><p>Jack and Will had sailed to Tortuga, where Jack had met with Gibbs in the Faithful Bride. Gibbs had found him a crew and the following morning, he led Jack and Will out to the dock to meet them.<p>

'Feast your eyes, Captain,' said Gibbs. 'All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot.'

'So this is your able-bodied crew?' asked Will.

Jack paced along the row of men, until one man in particular caught his eye, or rather the parrot sat on his shoulder caught his eye. It was blue and yellow, and it stirred a memory in Jack's mind. It looked just like the parrot he'd seen in the future, and Jack would probably go as far to say it was the exact same parrot from the future. This interested Jack.

'You, sailor!' said Jack to a man with the parrot.

'Cotton, sir,' said Gibbs.

'Mr Cotton, do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr Cotton! Answer, man!'

'He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how.'

'Mr Cotton 's parrot. Same question.'

'Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!' squawked the parrot.

'Mostly, we figure that means yes,' said Gibbs.

Of course it does,' said Jack, then turned to Will. 'Satisfied?'

'Well, you've proved they're mad,' replied Will.

'And what's the benefit for us?' said a voice from the end of the line. It was a voice Jack recognized and he really hoped it wasn't who he thought it was. He walked over to the person and removed their large hat, revealing that it was indeed who he thought it was.

'Ana Maria,' said Jack.

She slapped him.

'I suppose you didn't deserve that one either,' said Will.

'No, that one I deserved,' said Jack.

'You stole my boat!' yelled Ana Maria.

'Actually,' started Jack, but she slapped him again. 'Borrowed. Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back to you.'

'But you didn't!'

Jack remembered how he'd sold the wreckage of the Ocean Raider on to a young lad. He was fairly certain Ana Maria wouldn't have wanted her boat back if she'd seen the state Jack had left it in.

'You'll get another one.'

'I will!' said Ana Maria.

'A better one,' suggested Will.

'A better one!' repeated Jack.

'That one,' said Will.

'What one?' Jack said, looking across to where Will was pointing and saw the Interceptor. 'That one? Aye, that one. What say you?'

'Aye!' shouted the crew.

'No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir,' said Gibbs.

'It'd be far worse not to have her,' said Jack, remembering the treatment he'd given her last time.

* * *

><p>Jack had sailed the Interceptor through a storm to Isla de Muerta. He wasn't sure the crew had been all too happy about Jack's determination to keep sailing, no matter what the weather, but he didn't care. They arrived at the island early one morning, and Jack was fairly certain that Barbossa hadn't been there for much longer than they had, which meant that hopefully there was still time to trade Will for the Pearl before Elizabeth was killed.<p>

Jack and Will set out in a longboat into the caves.

'What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?' asked Will.

'Pirate's Code. Any man that falls behind is left behind,' replied Jack.

'No heroes amongst thieves, eh?'

'You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one. Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga. And you're completely obsessed with treasure.'

'That's not true,' said Will as they stepped out of the boat. 'I am not obsessed with treasure.'

Jack climbed up to a hole in the rock looking down over the gathering of pirates in the cave below. He spotted Barbossa standing by a large chest, Elizabeth beside him.

'Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate,' said Jack as he watched Elizabeth. Jack smiled to himself as he thought that Lizzie certainly was a treasure, a unique one. And she was a treasure that Jack was going to put every effort into looting for himself!

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><p>Please review! Let me know what you think of the extra scene I added in. There are more of those to come, particularly when we get to DMC I think. :)<p> 


	14. The Dauntless

Yes, I know this chapter is a short one, but I think it's kind of cute and it's the first proper Sparrabeth one! It's sort of a companion to the scene I did between Jack and Will. :) I enjoyed writing it, so let's hope you enjoy reading it.

I'm not entirely sure if Norrington did lock Jack in the brig after the island bit, but for the sake of this story, he did!

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><p><strong>14. The Dauntless<strong>

Jack sat in the brig of the Dauntless. Though the cells had half pin-barrel hinges, the cell was empty, meaning there was nothing to use as leverage, and after a couple of attempts using his bare hands, he accepted that he wasn't going to escape anyway.

Jack was incredibly annoyed at everyone. Well almost everyone. He was only slightly annoyed at Lizzie. But Will had annoyed him by revealing his identity to Barbossa and getting himself captured, removing the hope of any sort of trade for the Black Pearl. He was annoyed at the crew of the Interceptor for shooting at his beloved ship, particularly Gibbs, who knew how much the Pearl meant to Jack. And he was annoyed at Will again, for being the object of Lizzie's attentions. And at Barbossa, for being on Jack's ship, and being unable to die and for marooning him on that goddamn island once again. And he was slightly annoyed at Lizzie for burning all of the rum on the island, though she had mostly made up for it by attracting the ship to save their lives, even if it had turned out to be Norrington and his bloody Dauntless.

He had to admit to himself, he had rather enjoyed his stay on that little island, partly due to the difference in his company to when he'd been on it before. Though Lizzie had initially annoyed him with her insistence that they should save Will, once she had relaxed and had some rum, it had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Jack had enjoyed seeing her step out of her role as governor's daughter and act more like herself, and he'd seen a glimpse of something inside her which was ever so slightly pirate. It gave him hope that perhaps she could turn into the pirate he'd seen her as in the future.

Jack had two regrets at the moment, the first being the fact that he had passed out on the island just as he was starting to get closer to Lizzie. She had had enough rum for Jack to think he probably could have got away with a kiss, maybe even more, if only he hadn't collapsed on the sand first. The second regret was that as soon as he and Lizzie had boarded the Dauntless, she had announced that she would be marrying the bloody Commodore.

Jack slammed his fist against the floor in anger. He had thought it bad enough that the whelp was interested in her, but the fact she was stupid enough to accept a marriage proposal from Norrington just infuriated him more.

'Captain Sparrow?' Jack looked up as he heard Elizabeth's voice penetrate through the darkness of the brig.

'Please, love. Call me Jack.'

She stepped into the light, carrying a tray with a chunk of bread and a mug on it.

'I brought you food,' she said, passing the tray through the bars.

'Thanks, love,' he replied, and she furrowed her brow, probably wondering whether to correct him on her title. Jack was relieved when she said nothing.

'I'm sorry you have to be locked away down here,' she said. 'I've tried talking to James. I've told him there's nothing you can do to escape from this ship, and that you wouldn't want to anyway, seeing as we're sailing towards that ship of yours, but he seems to think there's a risk you'd manage to take over the ship and stage a mutiny or something.'

'What can I say? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow,' he grinned. 'At least somebody's aware of what a great pirate I am. I get offended when people think that putting me in handcuffs and pointing a couple of guns at me is enough to stop me escaping.'

They both smiled at the reference to the day they had met.

'So, yer marrying the Commodore?' said Jack.

'Yes,' replied Elizabeth.

'That's a shame,' said Jack. 'There was a part of me which hoped ye'd notice how attractive I was.'

'Jack!' she said.

'Sorry, love,' he replied. 'A man can dream, eh? But what about the whelp?'

'Who?'

'Young Mr Turner,' said Jack. 'He has a soft spot for ye. And I know ye feel something back.'

'Will has been my best friend since we were twelve years old!' protested Elizabeth. 'He's a good man, but I'm the governor's daughter and he's a blacksmith. We couldn't be together, even if we wanted to. Which I don't.'

'Ye know, Will said something very similar to me when I asked him if he loved you,' said Jack. 'Except he didn't deny that he wanted to be with ye, he only said society wouldn't allow it.'

Elizabeth shook her head.

'James is the kind of man every young girl dreams of marrying. I'm very grateful that he proposed to me.'

'Whatever ye say, love,' said Jack, tearing a piece of the bread off with his teeth. It was stale so he spat it back out and dunked it in the mug to soften it, which to his disappointment, contained water, not rum. 'I don't suppose ye've got any rum, have ye?'

'Even if I did, after the last time I saw you drink some, I'm not sure I'd want to give it to you.'

She walked away.

'Bye Miss Swann,' he called through the bars, and she turned to look at him.

'You can call me Elizabeth, Jack,' she said, with a tiny smile, and Jack smiled to himself as she left him alone in the brig once more.

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><p>As always, I love getting reviews. Thank you to every single one of you who have reviewed so far, in particular those of you who review time and time again. I love to hear how you think the story's progressing! The more reviews I get, the happier I become and the better (in theory!) in write!<p> 


	15. Gallows

**15. Gallows**

Jack was stood in front of the noose in front of a large crowd of people. He'd successfully killed Barbossa and the curse had been removed, but unfortunately his own crew had made off with the Black Pearl. He couldn't really blame them, after all they were pirates, and stealing ships is what pirates do best, but he was still slightly annoyed at them, in particular Gibbs, who knew exactly how much the Black Pearl meant to Jack. Still, perhaps they might turn up today and rescue him from the gallows, though he highly doubted them to have enough morality and guilt to do that.

He had found himself in this position after rowing back to the Dauntless with Elizabeth and Will, only to find most of the Royal Navy pointing their guns at him. With not even a thank you, he was thrown straight in the brig, and then locked up until today, where he would be executed in front of the large crowd. To his disappointment, he had seen Lizzie amongst them standing with her father and the Commodore. He really didn't want her to have to watch him die, though he had long given up hope of her becoming his. He must have done what his mother warned him not to and changed the path of the future.

'Jack Sparrow…'

'Captain,' said Jack, rolling his eyes. 'Captain Jack Sparrow.'

Could they not even give him one final thing by using his correct title when he was about to die. After all, he wouldn't have to opportunity to be called it ever again. Perhaps he should have written to the publishers of that book the young girl had dropped in England. Now he would forever be known as just 'Jack Sparrow'. How incredibly annoying!

'…impersonating a cleric of the Church of England…'

'Ah, yes,' Jack smiled, remembering that particular escapade. That had been back when he was captain of the Black Pearl, before Barbossa had become his first mate.

'…sailing under false colours, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness. And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul.'

The drumbeat kept going, then the drummers rolled as the executioner slipped the noose around his neck. So this was it. He actually was going to die. He hadn't managed to pull off a spectacular escape. He deliberately didn't look at Elizabeth, not wanting to see her, not wanting to accept that she was going to watch him die.

He heard a commotion in the crowd below him, but didn't want to see what it was. He just wanted to get this over with quickly. The drums stopped and the executioner pulled the lever. Jack felt the sudden pull of the noose around his neck as the floor fell away, but he had a glimpse of something shiny being thrown towards him and suddenly there was something for his feet to stand on.

He struggled, trying to keep his balance on whatever it was that was there, and saw Will run up onto the execution platform. The crowd were still causing a riot and some of the navy were running towards them to stop the fight between Will and the executioner. Jack was just getting over the shock of the whelp being his saviour when he felt himself falling further, the noose having been cut away from the wooden post.

Jack saw that he'd been standing on a sword, and remembered Will's trick of throwing the sword and was thankful that he'd spent three hours a day practicing. He used the sword to cut the bonds around his wrist just as the executioner fell into the crowd. Jack ran out from under the platform just as Will somersaulted off it, and Jack threw one end of the rope that had been around his neck to him. They used the rope to trip up several of the navy men, knocking the wind out of two more as the pulled it around a pillar. The rolled away, up towards the parapet of the fort, but were soon surrounded by armed men.

Norrington walked up to them, pointing his sword at Will.

'I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt but not from you.'

'On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!' said Governor Swann.

'And a good man!' said Will, and Jack felt himself liking the whelp more and more. 'If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear.'

'You forget your place, Turner,' said Norrington.

'It's right here, between you and Jack.'

'As is mine,' said Elizabeth, standing beside Will, and Jack felt his heart swell up even more. His Lizzie was defending him, Captain Jack Sparrow, against her own fiancé.

'Elizabeth!' exclaimed the governor. 'Lower your weapons. For goodness sake put them down!'

The weapons pointing at them were lowered.

'So this is where your heart truly lies, then?' asked Norrington.

'It is,' replied Elizabeth, and Jack sighed. At least if Jack couldn't have her, Will had proved he was worthy of her today.

Jack narrowed his eyes as he saw Cotton's parrot on the top of the fort. The Pearl was here!

'Well, I'm actually feeling rather good about this,' said Jack, walking over Governor Swann. 'I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically?' He walked over to Norrington. 'I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that.'

Jack walked away, then turned to Elizabeth.

'Elizabeth?' he said and she turned to him. What could he say to her? He'd spent years of his life hoping she could be his and now she had chosen Will. 'It would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry.'

He had said it more to reassure himself than her. To her, there had never been any hope of them being together anyway.

'Will?' he said, struggling to think of something to say to the man who had saved his life, and had also won the heart of the woman Jack had spent years pining over. He had never been one for big displays of thanks. Instead he said the first thing that came into his head. 'Nice hat.'

Will smiled as Jack walked to the edge of the battlements.

'Friends! This is the day that you will always remember as the day that…'

Jack tripped and fell off the edge of the battlement. Bugger! Why did that line never ever work?

He landed in the water below and swum to the surface, reminding him of the day he had met Lizzie. He smiled as he saw the Pearl in the distance, and he swam over to it, glad that at least he could have his ship back, even if he hadn't won Lizzie's heart.

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><p>Yep, I know there wasn't really anything new in there, but it rounds off CotBP quite nicely. Don't worry, I think you might enjoy the next chapter! :D<p>

As ever, please review. You are the ones who I'm writing this story to entertain, so let me know if I'm succeeding or failing. It makes me very happy every time I get a review. Thank you to those of you who have reviewed, a particularly special mention to Pencil37 who reviews this story a lot! :) But any reviews are welcome, even if you only do it once, it'll make me a very happy person. :)


	16. Hurricane

_To the anonymous reader who reviewed the last chapter: Thank you so much for that review! It made me so so happy to hear somebody so enthusiastic about this story. It made my week when I read it. Thank you so much for putting me in such a wonderful mood! :)_

_So in DMC, the crew mention that they wre chased across the Atlantic by the navy and that there was a hurricane. So here are the stories of what happened on both of those occasions._

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><p><strong>16. Hurricane<strong>

The Black Pearl sailed from Port Royal to Tortuga. Jack felt that thanks were in order to his crew for coming back to rescue him, even if it had been Will and not them doing the majority of the actual rescuing. He was also desperately in need of female company after all of the business with Lizzie and decided that Tortuga was the best place to find himself a suitable woman.

He stepped of the Pearl onto the familiar docks with a smile. The crew would dock here for a couple of days, just to relax and stock up on supplies, and then Jack had an important matter he decided needed sorting out concerning Davy Jones. He strode confidently into the centre of the town.

'Jack Sparrow!'

'It's Captain Jack Sparrow, if ye don't mind,' he said, turning to see Scarlett walking towards him. She slapped him.

'Come on, love,' he moaned. 'What was that for?'

'Last time you were here,' she said. 'You left before you paid me.'

'I did not!' said Jack.

'Yes you did!'

'I didn't! Do you have a receipt to prove it? A contract of some sort? No, I didn't think so. You should be more organized like that. See, because I have no recollection of spending any time with ye at all on me last visit, and seeing as ye have no proof that I ever did, I don't think it's right I should pay ye fer something I don't think even happened. Savvy?' Jack grinned at her.

She slapped him again and walked off. Oh well, there were plenty of other whores in this town. Jack was sure he could persuade at least one of them to join him in bed.

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><p>After two days in Tortuga, they had set sail once more. Jack's compass was starting to play up, but he had a pretty good idea of where his destination was anyway, so he wasn't too concerned for now. Jack was going on a hunt for information about a certain key, one that would unlock the chest which supposedly contained the heart of Davy Jones, if the legends told the truth.<p>

'Um, Captain?' Jack turned to see who was calling him, and it appeared there was nobody there, until Jack looked down and saw Marty standing there.

'Aye?'

'We're being followed by the navy.'

'The navy?'

'Aye.'

Jack took out his telescope and looked in the direction that Marty was pointing in.

'Bloody Norrington!' he muttered, striding across the deck. 'Prepare the cannons! There's a navy ship following us and they're just asking to be blown to pieces so I thought I'd indulge them. Come on, ye scallywags!'

The crew bustled around him, loading guns and cannons, and getting ropes ready for swinging onto the enemy ship. Jack gave Cotton, who was manning the helm, the instruction to turn around so that they could glide alongside the navy vessel. Gibbs approached Jack and reported that all cannons were ready, awaiting his instruction to fire, to which Jack thanked him and told him to prepare for battle.

Upon closer examination of the enemy ship, Jack discovered that Norrington himself didn't seem to be on the ship, though Jack had no doubt it was him who had sent this particular ship after the Pearl. Instead, Jack smiled as he saw his old acquaintance, Captain Morrison on the deck of the other ship.

'Fire!' commanded Jack as they drew alongside the navy ship, and the air filled with smoke and the sound of cannons firing, wood splintering as the cannons met their targets. The deck of the Pearl was soon filled with navy officers and the sound of swords clashing and pistols being fired. Jack grabbed a rope and swung across to the other boat, drawing his sword and stabbing it into a soldier's back, before withdrawing it and charging over to where Morrison stood.

'Sparrow,' he said.

'Captain Sparrow,' he corrected. 'It's been a long time. Please excuse me while I make sure it's even longer before I see you again.'

He swung back his sword, but before he could plunge it into Morrison's chest, Jack heard a loud bang from his left and Morrison was thrown off his feet. Jack looked down. The other Captain lay dead on the floor, a bullet wound in his head. Jack looked across to his left and saw Marty standing with his mouth open in shock, a gun almost as big as him laid across his arms. Jack grinned at him, and slapped him on the back, just as the other navy men noticed that their captain was dead and surrendered their weapons.

A cheer went up from the pirates and they swung back over to the Pearl, just as the mast of the navy ship fell down into the sea with a splash. Two men lifted Marty up onto their shoulders and carried him around the deck as the hero of the moment.

As the Pearl sailed away from the wreckage of the ship, Jack called to Gibbs. 'Break out the rum. I think we deserve it. Marty can have double.'

Gibbs smiled and nodded, going below deck to carry out the order.

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><p>'Captain! There's a storm ahead!' cried Gibbs, the following afternoon. Jack raised his telescope to his eye and saw that Gibbs was right, there were indeed dark clouds on the horizon. 'What do ye suggest we do about it?'<p>

'Do about it?' asked Jack. 'It's weather, we can't just click our fingers and get rid of it.'

'I mean, are we going to alter our course?' asked Gibbs.

'No, we're going to sail straight into it,' replied Jack. Gibbs laughed, thinking that Jack was being sarcastic, but upon seeing Jack's face and realizing he was serious, said, 'Sail into it captain?'

'Aye.'

'But it looks like a hurricane to me! It'll tear any ship to pieces.'

'The Black Pearl is not just 'any ship' Mr Gibbs. It'll take more than a little bit of bad weather to stop her from sailing the world.'

Gibbs looked uncertain, but decided to trust Jack's adamant faith in his beloved ship.

'Aye cap'n, what are the orders?'

'Tie anything loose down, it's going to be a rough ride,' ordered Jack. 'Then all hands to stations. I'll take the helm. I can pull her through it.'

'Aye, sir,' said Gibbs, and he proceeded to yell instructions to the crew members. They scurried around the deck, tying down loose cannons and the longboats. He could hear shouting and other noises below deck too, which told him that anything loose down there was also being tied down.

It started to drizzle and the wind picked up, the sky darkening ominously.

'Jack, are you sure about this?' shouted Gibbs over the roaring wind.

'I'm positive Mr Gibbs!' Jack called back. 'There's absolutely no need to worry.' Jack was only slightly concerned himself, reasonably confident that he had the skills to take the Black Pearl through this storm. If anyone could do it, it was him, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jack tied himself to the helm as the storm got even worse. He didn't want to end up sliding away from the wheel when the ship needed him most, so by tying himself to it, he made sure that he would always be in complete control of it.

'All hands to stations!' he heard Gibbs yell, though he couldn't see much because of the driving rain clouding his vision of anything more than a few metres ahead of him.

After a couple of hours of intense wind and rain, the storm began to calm down. Jack had kept his position at the helm throughout, keeping two steady hands on the wheel as he yelled orders to the crew below, who were sliding and slipping across the wet deck as the ran to carry out the instructions. They had made it through the storm, and the Pearl seemed largely undamaged. The crew were tired and wet, Jack particularly who'd had to take the strain of the ropes tying him down as he fought against the high winds.

'Yer mad, Jack,' said Gibbs, panting slightly as the rain turned into a mild drizzle.

'Aye, but we made it,' said Jack. 'It would have taken days to go around it, and I don't have days to waste avoiding some poxy hurricane which we can easily sail straight through. Savvy?'

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><p><em>Hehe, I hope you liked it. I sat down the other day to properly plan the rest of the story and realised I had something lined up for pretty much every character except for Marty, so I decided to give him his moment of heroism here! :)<em>

_Please review! :) xxx_


	17. Cannibals

Thank you for the lovely reviews!

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><p><strong>17. Cannibals<strong>

After obtaining the piece of cloth with the picture of the key on it, and later finding Bootstrap in the bowels of the ship, only to be told he had the black spot and the Kraken was after him, Jack had decided that the safest place for him to be was on land. They had headed straight for the nearest island, which, to Jack's interest happened to be the Pelegosto's island. The crew had found themselves captured by the tribe within a week, and Jack had wasted no time in using his limited knowledge of their language to make himself their chief once more, though he hadn't been able to do anything for the rest of the crew. To his disgust, some of his men had been eaten, but many of them remained hanging in cages above a huge canyon.

Jack was sat on his throne meditating, or rather pretending to meditate. He was actually wondering what on earth had made him come back to this island, and how he was going to escape, for he was certain that the Pelegostos were planning to eat him imminently.

'Kali kali ten dada,' he heard one of the tribe say to him.

Jack opened his eyes, and to his surprise, saw Will Turner hanging off a stick of bamboo. What was the whelp doing here? Why was he not with Lizzie? Jack was just beginning to forget about them and now Will had turned up here.

'Jack? Jack Sparrow!' said Will. 'I can honestly say I'm glad to see you.'

For the benefit of his tribe, Jack pretended he didn't know Will. He got up off his throne and poked Will in the shoulder.

'Jack, it's me, Will Turner!'

'Pase ko,' said Jack to his tribe.

'Iyandada esipe,' said one of the tribe, and the rest echoed him with, 'Esipe.'

'Jack, tell them to let me down!' yelled out Will. Honestly, couldn't the whelp see he had to go along with the Pelegostos?

'Kelay lum. Lum piki piki. Lum incy wincy. Lum say say eunuchy. Snip snip.'

'Ah, eunuchy!' said the tribe.

'Jack, the compass! That's all I need! Elizabeth is in danger! We were arrested for trying to help you! She faces the gallows!'

Elizabeth was going to be executed? Jack had left her with Will because he'd thought she would be safe there. Certainly, life in Port Royal with a blacksmith as a husband had to be safer than sailing the seas with pirates. But no, the stupid whelp hadn't protected her and now she was locked up.

'Say say lom shup shup sha. Smomy lama shuku, savvy? Bon liki liki.'

'Bon liki liki!' yelled the tribe.

'Save me!' Jack whispered to Will as the tribe carried him away.

'Jack, what did you tell them? No! What about Elizabeth? Jack!'

Jack went and sat back down in his throne, thinking. He really needed to get off this island. If not to save himself and his crew, to save Elizabeth. He couldn't just let her die, not after everything. And perhaps he hadn't changed the course of fate, as he'd previously thought. Perhaps it was in the act of saving her from the gallows that she joined him in his bed and they lived happily ever after.

'Happily ever after, Jackie?' he muttered to himself. 'Yer a pirate, not a stupid fairytale prince. Stop dreaming of an impossible fantasy and get off this bloody island!'

A plan started to formulate in his mind as the tribe started building a fire. It seemed that today was the day they would 'release the God within him'.

Jack stood up from his throne.

'Oh, no no, oi!' he called out. 'No, no! More wood, big fire, big fire. I am chief, want big fire, more wood. C'mon! Aboogie snickle snickle. Toot swee, c'mon, more wood!'

As all of the tribe got involved in making a bigger fire, Jack took the opportunity while nobody was watching him to sprint off away from them.

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><p>'So then Mr Turner,' said Jack as he stood at the helm beside Will. 'Are you going to indulge me in telling me the story as to why your wife is locked up and needs saving, once again?'<p>

'I don't have a wife Jack,' said Will.

'What?' said Jack loudly, surprised. 'But Elizabeth…'

'…is my fiancé,' said Will.

'I thought you got married,' said Jack.

'We were both arrested before we got married,' said Will bitterly. 'It was on the day of the wedding, actually. Lord Beckett, the stupid bastard.'

'So how come you're here and she isn't?'

'Beckett set me free,' said Will. 'He'll set us both free, and drop the charges on you, if I give him your compass.'

'Drop my charges,' snorted Jack. 'The man's been chasing me his whole bloody life. He's not about to drop the charges.'

'That's what he said.'

'Beckett never has been one to keep to his word,' mumbled Jack. 'For a man so determined to rid the world of pirates, he is surprisingly dishonest and untrustworthy and has a morality almost as low as mine.'

They stood in silence for a few minutes.

'You know,' said Jack. 'If we ever find Elizabeth, I could marry you on this ship. Ye know, get it out of the way before anyone else can arrest you.'

'You can perform weddings?'

'I'm captain of this fine vessel, and captains of any vessel, fine or otherwise, can perform marriage ceremonies on their own ships. I've done quite a few before. Though the last one wasn't quite as successful as I'd hoped.'

'Why, what happened?'

'Two of me crew came to me one night, stinking drunk, demanding that I marry them,' said Jack, laughing at the memory. 'I asked them if they were absolutely certain, what with them both being men and all that. I asked if they'd rather wait 'til they were sober. Except one of the men got his sword out and threatened to run me through if I didn't marry them right there and then.'

Will laughed.

'You never married them?'

'Aye, I did,' said Jack. 'I don't like picking fights with a drunk man, or two drunk men in this case. So I married them, just like I asked. Went very smoothly, until there was a bit of confusion when I said 'You may kiss the bride'. There was some debate as to who should kiss who.'

'And this marriage, was it legal?' asked Will. 'I mean, two men?'

'I don't even know,' said Jack.

'Well what happened to them?'

'They came to me the next day, swords out again, asking me the same question ye just asked me,' said Jack. 'Was it legal? I told 'em that if they hadn't consummated it, I didn't think it was.'

'They hadn't consummated it, had they?' asked Will nervously.

'Well they couldn't remember themselves,' said Jack. 'Too drunk. But every single other member of the crew could vouch that they had. Put on quite a show apparently.'

Will screwed up his face.

'But that's just disgusting,' said Will.

'To a well brought up young gentleman like you, then yes,' said Jack. 'But it's not uncommon to hear of amongst pirates. Especially the lower ranking ones who have to stay and guard the ship when the rest get shore leave. Men have needs, ye know.'

Will blushed and looked uncomfortable.

'I think I'll pass on the wedding on a ship,' he said. 'Especially if the rest of the crew, you know…'

'If the rest of the crew place bets and drink while watching yer wedding night as if it's a regular entertainment,' laughed Jack.

Will avoided Jack's gaze.

'It's all right, lad,' said Jack, slapping him on the back. 'You can have yer fancy wedding in a castle. Just remember if it goes wrong and ye get arrested again, the offer from me remains.'

'Thanks Jack,' said Will.

Jack had absolutely no idea why he'd just offered to marry Will and Elizabeth. He couldn't think of anything he'd rather do less, except for perhaps jumping straight into the jaws of the Kraken. He just wanted to forget all about Lizzie and any feelings he may or may not have had for her and move on with his life, working on the pressing matter of finding Davy Jones and the key to his chest. So why had he just offered to hold their wedding on his ship? He was relieved that Will had said no.


	18. Curiosity

Yes, it's this scene. I know it's short, but I couldn't think of anything to put it with because the next chapter deserves to be on it's own ;) and I couldn't gt rid of it completely either because it's relatively significant to what I have planned for the rest of the story.

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><p><strong>18. Curiosity<strong>

Fortunately for Jack, he managed to get rid of the whelp soon after, taken by Davy Jones as part of a deal for Jack to give him a hundred souls. And to Jack's delight, when they'd turned up in Tortuga to gather the other ninety-nine souls, none other than Elizabeth Swann had turned up. Admittedly, she had been dressed in men's clothes, which did absolutely nothing for her figure, but it was Lizzie and she somehow managed to pull it off and look attractive anyway. Jack neglected telling her the details about Will's current predicament, for if she knew what he had done, it would almost certainly ruin any chances he might have with her.

Jack spotted Lizzie sat alone on the steps. She looked concerned about something and it was clear she was deep in thought. Jack decided that it was only right for him to go and talk to her, and he told himself it was because it was his duty as captain to make sure his crew were okay, not because Lizzie was by far the most attractive member of the crew and that he wanted to take advantage of the time the whelp was on the Dutchman to seduce her into his bed.

'My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled,' said Jack, walking over to Elizabeth and sitting beside her on the steps.

'I just thought I'd be married by now,' she said, horrifying Jack. 'I'm so ready to be married.'

'You know, Lizzie,' said Jack once he had handed her his bottle of rum. And idea was starting to form in his mind. He could only hope that she would go along with it. 'I am captain of a ship. And being captain of a ship, I could, in fact, perform a marr-i-age, right here, right on this deck, right now.'

Elizabeth gave Jack a look of disgust and thrusting the bottle of rum back into his chest. Perhaps she wasn't willing to go along with his plan. Walking away, she said, 'No, thank you.'

'Why not?' asked Jack, following her. 'We are very much alike, you and I, I and you, us.'

'Oh, except for a sense of honor, and decency, and a moral center. And personal hygiene.'

Jack sniffed his armpit, saying, 'Trifles. You will come over to my side, I know it.'

'You seem very certain.'

'One word, love,' said Jack, smugly. 'Curiosity. You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day, you won't be able to resist.'

'Why doesn't your compass work?' she asked, suddenly changing the subject to avoid Jack's assumption, probably because she knew it to be correct.

'My compass works fine,' Jack said, though this wasn't entirely true because it worked for everyone but him. His compass didn't even point to her, which worried him slightly.

'Because you and I are alike,' she said. 'And there will come a moment when you have the chance to show it. To do the right thing.'

'I love those moments,' said Jack, mocking her. 'I like to wave at them as they pass by.'

'You'll have the chance to do something,' she continued knowledgably. 'Something courageous. And when you do, you'll discover something. That you're a good man.'

'All evidence to the contrary,' smirked Jack and she laughed.

'Oh, I have faith in you. Want to know why?'

'Do tell, dearie,' said Jack, certain that nothing she could say would change his mind and convince him he was actually a good man. She stepped between him and the rail, her face inches from his.

'Curiosity,' she said, turning his words back against him. 'You're going to want it. A chance to be admired, and gain the rewards that follow.' Jack noticed just how close her face was. 'You're not going to be able to resist.' If she didn't move away soon, Jack knew he wouldn't be able to resist her. 'You're going to want to know what it tastes like.'

'I do want to know what it tastes like.' He wasn't talking about courage or being a good man anymore. Their mouths were so close it was taking more effort on Jack's part not to kiss her than it would take to close the gap between their lips.

'But seeing as you're a good man, I know you would never put me in a position that would compromise my honor,' she said. Jack opened his mouth, and was just about to lower it onto Elizabeth's when he saw the black spot appear on his hand and he moved his face away from her. 'I'm proud of you, Jack.'

'Land ho!' called Gibbs.

'I want my jar of dirt!' said Jack.

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><p>Keep those reviews coming. :) Let me know what you think. I promise the next chapter is good. It's my favourite so far! ;) I bet you can probably guess what happens in it!<p> 


	19. The Kraken

_So here it is, the best scene in the POTC films, so I hope I did it justice. Even though I've watched this scene so many times, I still cried a hell of a lot just writing this chapter. :'(_

_So enjoy ... or not. Are you meant to enjoy the main character dying? I've never been sure if the amount I love this scene is normal!_

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><p><strong>19. The Kraken<strong>

Jack was sitting in a longboat, rowing away from the Black Pearl as it was taken down by the Kraken. It pained him to see he beloved ship being taken to the bottom of the ocean, but he valued his own life more than his ship, and when the opportunity to sneak away from the attack had arisen, he had taken it. He gazed back at the ship, wanting to memorise every last detail of his ship. Not that he really needed to, because he already knew every single corner of that ship. He just knew that this would be the last time he would see it.

He pitied all of the crew he was leaving behind to their deaths, and there were certain people he regretted not bringing with him, but he knew that if the crew caught on to the fact he was leaving, they'd all want to come with him, and this longboat certainly didn't have the room for the whole crew. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of Gibbs, who'd always been loyal to him. Then there were the other loyal members of his crew like Cotton and Marty. The whelp. He'd been useful at times, though Jack hated how he was the one Elizabeth loved.

Elizabeth. His Lizzie. She was still on the Black Pearl. It tore his heart apart even more than the thought of leaving Gibbs behind. Could he really row away to safety and leave his Lizzie to die by the Kraken. _You'll have the chance to do something. Something courageous. And when you do, you'll discover something. That you're a good man_. Her words echoed in his mind. Was this it? Was this his moment of courage and bravery. Was this the moment he discovered he was a good man? He took a glance at the island behind him, then looking back to the Pearl. He flipped open his compass to check and made his mind up. He began rowing back the way he'd come from.

Once he reached the Pearl, he climbed up the rigging on the hull to get back onto the deck of the ship. Chaos was all around him. Men were being snatched by the deadly tentacles. He spotted Will clinging onto the huge cargo net and saw Elizabeth aiming a gun at the barrels inside it, understanding what they were trying to do. He watched in horror as Elizabeth was snatched around the ankle by a tentacle, forcing her to drop the gun, but luckily, she returned a moment later. The gun was flung up high and landed not far from where he was standing. He rushed over to it, just as Elizabeth ran up the steps to retrieve it. He put it foot on it and she tugged at it, struggling to pull it free.

He looked down and saw her admirably gaze up at him. Unable to savour the look she was giving him because of the urgency of their current situation, he bent down to pick up the gun and looked down its sight to aim it at the cargo net of barrels. Elizabeth clung to his leg, but he ignored it. He had one shot. One shot to save every man still alive on this ship. One shot to save Lizzie.

Will fell from the net and Jack fired. As soon as he'd pulled the trigger, he knew the bullet was going to hit its target. The barrels exploded, one after the other, burning the tentacles of the Kraken and forcing the beast to retreat back into the sea. The remaining survivors emerged from their various hiding places, looking around at the burning wreckage.

'Captain! Orders?' shouted Gibbs. Jack ran down the stairs, still carrying the gun.

'Abandon ship. Into the longboat,' he said, giving the gun to Gibbs, who looked shocked.

'Jack!' moaned Gibbs. 'The Pearl!'

'She's only a ship, mate,' said Jack, though it was hurting him deep inside to have to give up hope for his beautiful ship. She was certainly a lot more than 'only a ship' to Jack, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from doing the right thing.

'He's right,' said Elizabeth. 'We have to head for land.'

'That's a lot of open water,' said Pintel.

'That's a lot of water,' agreed Ragetti.

'We have to try,' said Will. 'We can get away as it takes down the Pearl.'

'Abandon ship,' nodded Gibbs, accepting this was what had to be done. 'Abandon ship or abandon hope.'

As the other remaining members of the crew started climbing into the longboat and grabbing anything lying around that they might still want, Jack took the moment to take one final look at his ship. She really was beautiful, and it hurt him so much to have to give her up to the Kraken, but he knew it must be done.

'Thank you, Jack,' said Lizzie.

Jack turned around. 'We're not free yet, love.'

'You came back,' she said with a little smile. Bugger, she'd seen him leave? He'd hoped he'd managed to get away and back again without anyone noticing him. 'I always knew you were a good man.'

Jack noticed how incredibly close she was. He could see right into her eyes. There was something there within them, but he couldn't quite tell what it was. Admiration, perhaps? Gratefulness that he'd shot the barrels? Or maybe something more?

And then her lips were on his. Jack couldn't quite believe that his Lizzie was kissing him, for it definitely was her doing the kissing. He responded, moving his lips against hers. He lost himself in her mouth, completely forgetting everything that had just happened and the urgency to get off the ship. It was just Jack and Lizzie, kissing, and nothing else mattered. He was slightly aware that she'd pushed him back against the mast, but he let her take control, the only thing crossing his mind that he wanted this moment to go on forever. His Lizzie, kissing him!

He heard of soft click from beside him as she pulled away from him. He realized she had chained him to the ship and saw that she had a cold, determined look in her eyes, nothing like what he'd seen before the kiss. He smirked. He had to admire her. He'd completely fallen for it, just like she knew he would. His heart fell slightly as he realized that the only reason she had kissed him was to distract him long enough to chain him to the ship, not because she had any sort of feelings for him.

'It's after you, not the ship,' she whispered, her face still temptingly close to Jack's. 'It's not us. This is the only way, don't you see?' She moved her head forwards as if she was going to kiss him again, but stopped just before their lips met. 'I'm not sorry.'

'Pirate,' Jack spat at her, smirking. If he was going to die, he wanted her to kiss him one last time, but she didn't, instead walking away and climbing off the side of the ship to join the rest of the crew in the longboat. He struggled against the shackles, but they wouldn't come free. He had to admit, she'd done a good job. Many people had tried and failed to kill Jack, much better men than Elizabeth, yet she'd been the only one where it looked like Jack had no hope. He cursed as he realized why he'd decided all those years ago as a boy that he'd never fall in love. It made him weak, and now it was going to kill him.

'Bugger, bugger, bugger!' He heard the ship creaking ominously and knew that if he was going to pull off one of the famous Captain Jack Sparrow escapes, he would have to do it soon. He spotted an oil lamp lying on the deck not too far away and an idea popped into his mind. He drew his sword and used it to pick up the lamp through the hook on the top, swinging it against the mast to smash it. He trickled some of the oil onto the chained hand. 'Come on.' He tried to ease the hand through the handcuff, and after much effort, he finally pulled it free. He'd done it! He wasn't going to die!

He sensed something behind him and turned slowly to see the huge mouth of the Kraken over the side of the ship. Without warning, it let out a huge roar. Jack closed his eyes and held his breath as he was covered head to foot in the Kraken's phlegm. He shook himself and wiped some of the slime off his face.

'Not so bad,' he said, noticing as he did so that the monster had spat out his hat. 'Oh!' He picked it up and put it onto his head.

He had to make the decision now. He could very easily turn around, jump over the edge of the boat and swim to the longboat. He would lose the Pearl, but he wouldn't die. Or he could stay and get eaten. He knew which option sounded more appealing, but Elizabeth's words kept running through his mind. _This is the only way, don't you see? _If he died, it would save her. _I always knew you were a good man._ If he jumped off the ship and survived, she'd hate him and she'd know he was a coward. If he died, at least she would remember him as a 'good man'. But was he a good man? If he died for her, then perhaps.

Jack made up his mind. He was doing this for Lizzie. He smiled and drew his sword.

'Hello, Beastie,' he whispered, as he ran towards the Kraken's open jaws and slashed as its mouth closed around him. The only thing allowing him to get through the horrendous stench of rotting corpses and the unbearable pain of teeth tearing him apart was the memory of Elizabeth's lips on his and that he was doing this because he loved her.

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><p><em>So, tell me what you think! :) I get very excited about reviews. ;)<em>


	20. The Locker

_I'm not so happy with this chapter. When I came up with the ideas, it seemed like it would work, but now that I've actually written it. But as always, let me know what you think by reviewing._

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><p><strong>20. Locker<strong>

Jack opened his eyes. He was lying on his bed in the cabin of the Pearl, which confused him slightly, because he was fairly certain he'd just been swallowed by the Kraken. Though that may have been a dream, he wasn't quite sure.

He rose from the bed and went over to him rum cabinet, taking out two full bottles. He uncorked the first and lifted it to his lips, but nothing came out. He examined the bottle in confusion, but it was empty. He could have sworn it had rum in it a moment ago. Oh well, he had the second bottle. He opened it and tried to drink from that one instead, but it too became empty as soon as the rim of the bottle touched his lips.

'What it this damn madness?' he said angrily, walking out of his cabin onto his deck.

He stopped in his tracks. There were at least thirty other Jack Sparrow's on the deck in front of him, working on the ship. This bewildered him, for as far as he was aware, there was only one Jack Sparrow on his ship before. He decided to leave them to it as they seemed to be doing a fairly good job, unsurprisingly really, considering they were him. He went below deck in search of more rum. He unlocked the door to the rum supply and entered. It was dimly lit and bottles were stacked on shelves all around, just as he'd remembered. At least something was normal today.

He took hold of the nearest bottle and opened it. He sniffed it, and the smell of rum wafted out of the bottle. So he had established that this bottle definitely contained rum. But once again, when he tried to drink out of the bottle, the rum vanished. He tried this with four more bottles, but each time yielded the same results. He slammed one of the bottles down to the floor in rage.

'Why is the rum always gone?' he bellowed, kicking the nearest wall in anger.

'Hello Jack.'

He spun around at the sound of Elizabeth's voice and found her standing in the doorway to the supply room.

'That would explain it,' he said. 'Hello, Lizzie, darling.'

'Goodbye Jack,' she said, raising a gun and shooting him.

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><p>Jack awoke again on his bed. This confused him even more than last time because this time he was certain that Elizabeth had just killed him, and he didn't know why he kept dying and then waking up in his bed. He really hoped there was some rum this time, but didn't want to get shot, so he just walked out onto the deck, ignoring his rum cabinet. The many Jacks were hard at work.<p>

He watched them, speaking to a couple of them when there weren't doing anything useful. He walked up to the helm to admire his beautiful ship.

'Thank you Mr Sparrow, I'll take it from here,' he told the Jack manning the helm.

'Aye Captain Sparrow,' said the other Jack, walking away.

He stroked the wheel of his beloved ship, enjoying the feeling of power he always got when he stood at the helm. He smiled. This was more like it.

He heard a voice calling his name. Looking around, he struggled to see where it was coming from. All of the Jacks were busy working, none of them seemed to want his attention. Straining his ears, he thought it might be Elizabeth's voice. He raised his telescope to his eye and spotted her in the distance, a couple of hundred yards ahead of the ship. She was waving her arms to get his attention as she called his name.

'Full sail ahead!' he shouted, and the Jacks set to following his order, raising the sails. He stood with both hands on the wheel and muttered to himself, 'I'm coming Lizzie.'

It took Jack quite a while (though he wasn't really sure how long because all sense of time seemed to have vanished in this place) to realise that the Pearl wasn't actually moving anywhere at all. Upon closer inspection, they weren't on the sea, instead just resting in what looked like a desert. Jack rolled his eyes and swung off the ship, deciding that he'd make the journey on foot.

He continued walking for what could have been hours or just minutes. It felt like a long time though, because Jack's feet were beginning to hurt. Jack was confused. Lizzie was ever so slightly closer than she had been before, yet the Pearl was a tiny speck in the distance behind him. He carried on walking, following Lizzie calling his name.

A while later, his feet ached beyond anything he'd felt before, and his throat was sore from lack of drinking anything. He hadn't brought any rum with him, so had nothing to quench his thirst. He had almost reached Lizzie now, and he'd walked so far that he could no longer see where the Pearl was.

'Lizzie,' he croaked.

'Jack,' she replied.

'Come with me,' he said. 'I'll take ye back to the Pearl.'

'Goodbye Jack,' she said, raising a pistol. He yelled out, knowing what was about to happen, but she shot him anyway and the world went black.

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><p>Jack woke once again. He decided that this time he wouldn't let anything bother him, except the running of the ship. He would just go about his normal captain's duties and if anything out of the ordinary happened, he would ignore it.<p>

He left his cabin and looked around at the many versions of himself. One in particular caught his eye. Instead of working, he was sat at a small table, about to eat a peanut. Jack decided that this was unacceptable behavior and shot the Jack.

'My peanut,' he said as he ate the peanut. 'All hands slackened braces!'

'Aye captain,' shouted one of the Jacks. 'Slackened braces!'

Jack strode around the ship, watching the Jacks at work, ignoring the ones who were acting in a particularly strange way and the fact there was a goat on his ship and marching up to a Jack who was tying a rope down to the ship.

'Mr. Sparrow?'

'Aye captain.'

'What say you about the condition of this tack line?'

'It be proper to my eye, sir.'

'Proper?' queried Jack. 'It is neither proper nor suitable, sir, it is neither acceptable nor adequate. It is in obvious fact, an abomination.'

'Beggin' yer pardon, sir, but perhaps if ye gave a man another chance.

'Shall I?' Jack stabbed the other Jack. 'That sort of thinking got us into this mess. We have lost speed and therefore time, precious time, which cannot be regained once lost. Do you understand?'

'Aye aye captain!' replied the other Jacks.

'Do you now? It will all have to be redone, all of it! And let that serve as a lesson to the lot of ye! Doldrums sir, has the entire crew on edge. I have no sympathy for any of you fecculant maggots, and no more patience to pretend otherwise. Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness!' Jack grabbed a rope and swung off the ship.

* * *

><p>After the incident with the rocks, which not even Jack could try to explain, he found himself on a beach with what he assumed must be hallucinations of his old crew on the Pearl.<p>

'Mr Gibbs!'

'Aye captain?'

'I thought so. I expect you are able to account for your actions, then?'

'Sir?'

'There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel! Why? Why is that, sir?'

'You're in Davy Jones' locker, Cap'n,' said Gibbs.

'I know that,' said Jack uncertainly. 'I know where I am, and don't think I don't.'

'Jack Sparrow.' Jack turned to see Barbossa.

'Ah, Hector. It's been too long, hasn't it?' Jack walked over to him.

'Aye, Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me.'

'No I didn't.' Jack walked down the line of people. 'Ah, Tia Dalma, out and about, eh? You add an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium.'

'He thinks we're a hallucination.' Jack spotted Will Turner standing next to Tia Dalma.

'William, tell me something. Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel? Or rather a damsel in distress? Either one.'

'No.'

'Then you wouldn't be here. So you can't be here. Q.E.D. you're not really here.' Jack knew that they weren't really here and that they were in fact just hallucinations, like the two Elizabeth's who had shot him.

'Jack, this is real, we're here.' Elizabeth walked over to him. Jack's eyes widened as he remembered that the hallucinations of her tended to shoot him shortly after he'd met her. He walked back over to Mr Gibbs, when this one didn't immediately shoot him. Perhaps they were really here.

'The locker, you say?

'Aye,' replied Gibbs.

'We've come to rescue you,' said Elizabeth.

'Have you, now? That's very kind of you. But it would seem that as I possess a ship and you don't, it seems as though you're the ones in need of rescuing and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood.'

'I see my ship right there,' said Barbossa pointing to the Pearl.

'Can't spot it, must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the Pearl.'

'Jack,' said Will. 'Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones. He controls the Flying Dutchman.'

'He's taking over the seas,' added Elizabeth.

'The song has already been sung,' said Tia Dalma. 'The Brethren Court is called.'

'I leave you people alone for a minute and look what's happened, everything's gone to pot!' exclaimed Jack.

'Aye, Jack,' said Gibbs. 'The world needs you back something fierce.'

'And you need a crew,' said Will.

'Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded.' He gestured at Elizabeth. Will looked at her, a surprised look on his face.

'Oh, she's not told you? You'll have loads to talk about while you're here.' He smirked and walked along the line of people, deciding who to take with him. He started with Tia Dalma. 'As for you...'

'Now, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, at the time.'

'All right, fair enough, you're in,' he grinned, moving along to Ragetti. 'Don't need you, you scare me. Gibbs, you can come. Marty.' He passed over Pintel without anything more than a grimace. 'Cotton. Cotton's parrot, I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk to.' He came across a group of me he didn't recognise. 'Who are you?'

'Tai Huang. These are my men.'

'Where do your allegiances lie?' asked Jack.

'With the highest bidder.'

'I have a ship,' suggested Jack.

'That makes you the highest bidder.'

'Good man. Weigh anchor, all hands, prepare to make sail!'

He looked at his compass but it spun madly.

'Jack, which way ya goin', Jack?' asked Barbossa, tapping the charts. Jack closed his eyes, realising that he'd need those charts to escape from the locker and so would have to take the other crew members on his ship.


	21. Nightmare

**21. Nightmare**

Jack was sitting at his desk examining the charts spread across it. He took a large swig from a bottle of rum, put it back on the table and looked at the charts again with a sigh. The door behind him burst open.

'Haven't ye heard of knocking!' he bellowed angrily, turning to find that it was Lizzie. He stood up.

'Oh Jack,' she moaned. 'I can't cope. I need you so much!'

She threw herself at him, her mouth on his and her tongue thrusting itself into his open mouth. Jack stood startled for a second, before grinning against her mouth and kissing her back. Jack was surprised. This kiss was fiery and passionate, and he didn't know Lizzie could kiss like this. Nevertheless, he welcomed it and kissed her back with equal enthusiasm.

Suddenly he realized he was naked, though he wasn't quite sure how that happened. He didn't remember her undressing him, but perhaps he'd been too caught up in this kiss. Or perhaps he'd been naked when she entered his cabin, he wasn't sure. It wasn't as if he was complaining though! Lizzie, who to Jack's disappointment was still fully clothed, pushed him back onto the bed. She produced two pairs of handcuffs.

'I can't break our tradition and kiss you without chaining you to something,' she said seductively and she shackled each wrist to a bedpost.

Once done, she straddled Jack's waist and kissed him again. Jack closed his eyes and welcomed the kiss, but then he felt something cold and slimy on his face. He opened his eyes and saw that Lizzie was gone. In her place was Davy Jones, his tentacles writhing and squirming over Jack's face. Jack's first thought was to cover his privates, but he couldn't because his hands were still tied to the bed. He tried to yell out, but no sound came out of his mouth.

'Jack Sparrow, do you feel dead?' said Davy Jones, but it was Lizzie's voice that came out of his mouth.

Jack tried to call for help again and Jones laughed, a really evil Lizzie laugh. He raised a knife above his head and Jack noticed Bootstrap enter the room, holding the chest which should contain Jones's heart, but it was empty.

'Sorry Jack,' said Bootstrap.

'The Dutchman must always have a captain,' said Lizzie's voice from Davy Jones's mouth and the dagger came flying down towards Jack's chest. Jack closed his eyes and yelled.

* * *

><p>'Captain?'<p>

Jack opened his eyes.

'Jack, are you okay?' asked Gibbs, entering the cabin.

Jack looked down. He wasn't naked, instead wearing just the breeches that he wore to sleep in. His hands weren't tied to the bedposts either and he examined them. There was no sign of Elizabeth, Davy Jones or Bootstrap in the room.

'Jack, yer all pale and sweaty,' said Gibbs, a concerned look on his face. 'Yer shaking.'

'Bad dream,' muttered Jack. 'Nightmare.'

'Here,' said Gibbs, passing Jack a bottle of rum. 'Get this down ye.'

Jack took a swig and relaxed slightly as the warm liquid ran down his throat.

'Thanks,' he said.

'Ye were yelling yer head off,' said Gibbs. 'We thought ye were being killed in yer sleep!'

'So did I, Mr Gibbs,' said Jack.

He swung his legs out of bed and pulled his shirt, waistcoat and boots on. Then he grabbed his pistol, sword and hat and walked out of the cabin.

'Jack, are ye sure yer okay?' asked Gibbs, following him. 'Wouldn't it be better if ye rested? Yer looking a bit too peaky to be out of bed.'

'I'm fine,' said Jack shakily, walking up to the helm. 'I don't want to sleep ever again. It'll be best for me mind if I keep busy. It'll help me forget that dreadful nightmare.'

'Jack?' said someone, tapping him on the shoulder. Jack grabbed his pistol and swung around aiming it at the person, to find it was Elizabeth.

'Miss Swann,' stammered Jack, and he looked at her. She was definitely Elizabeth, with not a single tentacle in sight. He couldn't see any handcuffs or chains either.

'Jack, are you okay?' she asked.

'No … I mean, yes … um … I, er …' he stuttered. 'Gotta go, sorry.'

He lowered the pistol and practically sprinted down below deck, sitting down in a dark corner of the rum supply room, his head buried in his knees. He uncorked a bottle of rum and took a deep drink from it, glad that it soothed him slightly. He finished the bottle quickly and slammed it on the floor, smashing it.

'Damn wench!' he said angrily.

He heard footsteps.

'Uh Jack?' Lizzie's voice carried through the darkness. She came round the corner, holding an oil lamp, and looked down at him.

'What?' he said angrily.

'What have I done to upset you?'

'Well, ye killed me to start with,' said Jack.

'Jack, I told you I was sorry,' she said. 'As soon I stepped off that ship I wanted to go back and get you. And what have I done since?'

'Eh?'

'This morning,' said Elizabeth. 'You were yelling in your cabin, then you came out looking pale and flustered. Then when I asked you if you were okay, you pointed a pistol at me and ran straight off down here. You didn't do that to Gibbs.'

'It's nothing, love,' said Jack.

'Jack, you can tell me.'

'It's not you,' he lied. 'I just had a bad dream, that's all.'

'I know how you feel,' she said.

Jack highly doubted that she was being haunted in her dreams who had killed her, yet she still had a unexplainable attraction to them.

'You do?'

'I've been having bad dreams for weeks,' she admitted.

'About what?' Jack asked bitterly. 'That you married the whelp and found out on your wedding night that he was actually a eunuch after all?'

'Jack!'

'So that's not it then?' he asked, subconsciously taking one of the shards of glass from the smashed rum bottle and fiddling with it.

'What was your bad dream about?' she asked.

'I asked first.'

'And I'm not going to answer.'

'Well neither am I,' said Jack simply.

'I'll tell you if you tell me,' she said.

'Davy Jones,' said Jack.

'I beg your pardon?'

'I had a nightmare about Davy Jones.'

'I don't believe you.'

'Why is it that everybody believes me when I lie and nobody believes me when I tell the damn truth!' said Jack angrily. He clenched his fist and yelled out. He'd forgotten he still held the piece of glass and it sliced into his palm, blood dripping out of the cut.

'Jack!' gasped Elizabeth, taking his hand and looking at the cut. Jack snatched his hand away, not because he didn't like her touching him. On the contrary, the touch of her hand on his sent a rush through his body. He pulled away quickly because he was trying to forget any feelings of attraction towards her, and he didn't think her being alone with him and touching him so delicately would do anything to squash his feelings.

Jack reached into his pocket and rifled through the junk until he found a piece of cloth. He pulled it out and used it to dab the blood away before tying it firmly over the cut.

'Jack, is it me?'

'What?'

'The nightmares, are they about me?'

How did she know that? 'No, of course not. I told ye, it was Davy Jones.' He avoided her gaze.

'Jack, about what I did…'

'Killing me?' he asked bitterly.

'I'm sorry, Jack,' she said. 'I lied. When I told you I didn't regret it, I didn't mean it. The second I left the Pearl I wanted to go back. I felt so bad, that I wanted the Kraken to swallow me instead of you.'

Her face was incredibly close to Jack's. It wouldn't take much effort to close the gap and kiss her. It was very tempting.

'Ye don't mean that,' he said. 'You have no idea how horrible it was to stand facing the Kraken's jaws. I've never been more afraid in me life.' He had no idea why he was opening up to her and telling her this.'

'Jack, I'm sorry…'

'But do ye know the really funny thing?' asked Jack, raising his voice slightly. 'I escaped. I escaped from the handcuffs.' Her eyes widened. 'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, remember? I had a choice. I could have jumped off the ship and survived, but I didn't. I stood facing that beastie, and I drew my sword and I jumped straight into its goddamn mouth with a smile on me face.'

She had tears in her eyes.

'I did it fer you Lizzie,' he said. 'I don't know why. I hate what ye did to me, that ye betrayed me, but I went down smiling because I was doing what ye wanted me to.'

'Oh Jack,' she said. She was crying now. She ran a hand down the side of Jack's face, but he pulled his head away sharply. 'It wasn't what I wanted you to do. I didn't want you to die.'

'I can't forgive ye Lizzie,' he said, standing up. 'What ye did was too much.'

'Jack!' she sobbed as he stormed away, but he ignored her, wiping a single tear threatening to fall from his own eye.

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, I cried writing this chapter too. I don't know why. I must have just been feeling overly emotional at the time. I hope you enjoyed it. Please please review. I know that so many of you are reading this without reviewing and it would make my day if you could spend twenty seconds of your day letting me know what you think. Anonymous reviews are enabled, so you can review without me knowing who you are! :)<em>

_I will try and update at the weekend, but I'm not promising anything. It might be up to two weeks before I post anything again because I'm going away for a bit without a computer. But don't worry! There are two more chapters to finish the films, and then it starts to get exciting! :)_


	22. King

_Seeing as I had a lot of lovely reviews for the last one, I've made a special effort to get this one up today. But please don't expect another chapter for at least a week as I'm going to be without a computer. :)_

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><p><strong>22. King<strong>

'As he who issued summons, I convene this, the fourth Brethren Court,' announced Barbossa. 'To confirm your lordship and right to be heard, present now your pieces of eight, my fellow cap'ns.'

Jack lurked around in the shadows trying to go unnoticed as the other seven present lords gave their pieces of eight to Ragetti.

'Sparrow!' shouted Villanueva.

'Might I point out that we are still short one pirate lord, and I'm content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us,' said Jack.

'Sao Feng is dead.' Jack turned to the door and his heart skipped a beat as he saw Elizabeth standing in the doorway, the crew of the Empress behind her. 'He fell to the Flying Dutchman.' She walked into the room and plunged her sword into the globe.

'And made you captain?' asked Jack. 'They're just giving the bloody title away now!'

'Listen! Listen to me!' Elizabeth said loudly over the din in the room. 'Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett, they're on their way here.'

'Who is this betrayer?' asked Jocard.

'Not likely anyone among us,' replied Barbossa.

'Where's Will?' asked Elizabeth.

'Not among us,' said Jack.

'And it matters not how they found us. The question is, what will we do now that they have?'

'We fight!' said Elizabeth, determinedly and the room burst into laughter. Jack joined in.

'Shipwreck Cove is a fortress,' said Mistress Ching 'A well supplied fortress. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us.'

'There is a third course,' said Barbossa and Jack rolled his eyes. Any idea of Barbossa's was bound to be ridiculous. 'In another age, at this very spot, the first court captured the sea goddess, and bound her in her bones. That was a mistake. Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to Beckett and his ilk. Better were the days when mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone. Y'all know this to be true. Gentlemen, ladies. We must free Calypso.'

There was silence in the room, then it exploded into uproar.

'Shoot him!'

'Cut out his tongue!'

'Shoot him and cut out his tongue, then shoot his tongue,' said Jack. 'And trim that scraggly beard.'

'Sao Feng would have agreed with Barbossa,' said Tai Huang.

'Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now,' said Jocard.

'And it's unlikely her mood's improved,' said Chevalle.

'I would still agree with Sao Feng,' said Villanueva. 'We release Calypso!'

'You threaten me?'

'I silence you!' Chevalle punched Villanueva, starting a loud riot between all pirates, a fight which would make the participants of similar fights in the Faithful Bride proud of their fellow pirates.

'This is madness!' said Elizabeth.

'This is politics,' explained Jack with a shrug.

'Meanwhile our enemies are bearing down upon us.'

'If they not be here already,' said Barbossa, rolling his eyes. He climbed up onto the table and fired a pistol into the air, silencing everyone in the room. 'It was the first court what imprisoned Calypso, and we will be the ones to set her free, and in her gratitude she will see fit to grant us boons.'

'Whose boons?' asked Jack. 'Your boons? Utterly deceptive twaddlespeak, says I.'

'If you have a better alternative, please, share,' said Barbossa, stepping down from the table.

'Cuttlefish,' said Jack smugly, wiping the grin off Barbossa's face. 'Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish. Flipper conories little sausages. Pen 'em up together and they'll devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, isn't it?...or... or...fish nature. So yes, we could hole up here well provisioned and well armed and half of us would be dead within the month, which seems grim to me any way you slice it. Or, as my learned colleague so naively suggests, we could release Calypso, and we can pray that she will be merciful. I rather doubt it. Can we in fact pretend that she is anything other than a woman scorned, like which fury hell hath no? We cannot.' By now, Jack had made his way to the other end of the table. 'Res ipso loquitur tabula in naufragio, we are left with but one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are coming out of me mouth, Captain Swann. We must fight.' His heart raced at the little smirk that she gave him.

'You've only ever run from a fight!' said Barbossa.

'I have not!'

'You have too!'

'I have not!'

'You have too and you know it!'

'Have not, slander and calumny!' said Jack. 'I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit here and now, that is what we all must do, we must fight ... to run away.'

'Aye!' said Gibbs, and everyone else agreed enthusiastically.

'As per the code, an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the pirate king,' sneered Barbossa. Jack rolled his eyes at the lengths Barbossa was going to in order to deliberately disagree with Jack.

'You made that up!' argued Jack.

'Did I now? I call on Captain Teague, keeper of the code.' Jack's face fell. Not his father.

'SeSumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly!' said one of SeSumbhajee's assistants. 'Hang the code! Who cares...' He was interrupted as he was shot, and everyone turned to the person who'd shot him in the corner, Captain Teague.

'The code is the law,' said Teague, making his way towards the table. 'You're in my way, boy,' he said to Jack, and Jack shuffled across, not looking at his father. The code was placed in front of them on the table and Teague whistled, calling the dog holding the key.

'How did...?' started Ragetti.

'Sea turtles, mate,' shrugged Teague, looking at the code. 'Barbossa is right.'

'Hang on a minute,' said Jack, looking at the code for himself. 'It shall be the duty of the king to declare war … parlay with said adversaries ... fancy that.'

'There's not been a king since the first court, and that's not likely to change,' said Chevalle.

'Not likely,' said Teague.

'Why not?' asked Elizabeth.

'Because the king is elected by popular vote,' said Gibbs.

'And each pirate only ever votes for hisself,' finished Barbossa.

'I call for a vote,' said Jack.

Jack listened as each pirate predictably voted for themselves and smirked as it was just him remaining to cast his vote. 'Elizabeth Swann,' he said, enjoying the surprised looks on his fellow pirates faces.

'What?' asked Elizabeth.

'I know, curious isn't it?' The rest of the pirates started arguing once more. 'Am I to understand that you lot will not be keeping to the code, then?' The room went silent.

'Very well, what say you Captain Swann, king of the Brethren Court?' asked Mistress Ching.

'Prepare every vessel that floats,' said Elizabeth, smirking at Jack. 'At dawn, we're at war.' Jack inclined his head in her direction to show that he appreciated her actions.

* * *

><p>'Why did you do it Jack?' asked Elizabeth.<p>

'Do what?'

'Vote for me.'

'Well, I was hardly going to vote for Barbossa and his stupid idea of releasing bloody Calypso, was I?' said Jack. 'You were the only one talking sense, and you were the only one who agreed with me. If I'd voted for myself, we'd still be in that stuffy room arguing, so I voted for you because it meant we could go to war. Besides, I trust you more than any of the other Pirate Lords.'

'You trust me?' asked Elizabeth. 'But I killed you.'

'And you're so guilty that I know you'll never try to kill me again,' said Jack. 'Something which I can't say about the other Lords. If there's going to be someone in charge of me, I'd rather that my death wasn't on their list of priorities.'

'So am I forgiven for killing you?' she asked.

A memory stirred in Jack's mind. Words his mother had said to him years ago about Elizabeth.

_Forgive her Jackie. When she kills ye, forgive her._ If he forgave her, he might risk falling in love with her again. He didn't want to put himself through that, especially after last time. If he remained angry with her, he wouldn't have to act like he was okay with Elizabeth and Will.

'I don't know,' said Jack. 'I've never had to try and live with someone who's killed me before. It's hard.'

'I understand Jack,' she said. 'Just as long as you know that I'm sorry. Please try. It would make me a whole lot happier if we died tomorrow knowing that things were back to normal between us.'

'We aren't going to die Lizzie,' said Jack.

'We might do.'

A plan began to formulate in Jack's mind, he just might need a bit of help to carry it out. 'If I forgive you, can you help me do something?'

'I'll do anything.'

She'd do anything? Jack had to keep his mind from wandering to the many things he'd dreamed of doing with her to keep himself focused on the task at hand. 'I need to get onboard the Dutchman,' he said. 'If I can get the heart, I can stop the war. Jones will have to do as I say and we can use him against Beckett.'

'I'll help you Jack,' she said, relieved that he hadn't asked for more.

'Then I think I can forgive you,' he smiled.

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><p><em>To those reviewers who expressed their frustration at Jack for not forgiving Lizzie: I hope you're happier with him now! :P <em>

_Please leave me lots of lovely reviews while I'm away. Now that we're nearing the end of th film bits, I would love to hear any predictions you have of what might happen next. :)_


	23. Married

_Apologies for the delay, but I'm back from my trip away now! Not a particularly good chapter here, but the next one will probably be up later on today to compensate for the lack of chapters in the last two weeks. :)_

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><p><strong>23. Married<strong>

Elizabeth had kept to her word and had managed to get Jack onto the Dutchman, though as she had done it by exchanging him for Will, he was doubting her and wondered whether she had wanted Will more than his own forgiveness. Once onboard the Dutchman, he had managed to locate both the chest and the key. Jack found himself standing on the deck of the Dutchman, the heart in his left hand and what remained of his sword in his right. Both Elizabeth and Will were lying on the deck, and Davy Jones stood over Will.

'Tell me, William Turner, do you fear death?' sneered Davy Jones.

'Do you?' shouted Jack with a smirk, and Jones turned around to look at him, his eyes widening as he saw what Jack was holding. 'Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand.'

'You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow.'

'Cruel is a matter of perspective.'

'Is it?' spat Jones, turning and plunging his sword into Will's heart. Will yelled out in pain and Elizabeth gasped in shock. Jack stood still, having not expected this sudden turn of events. There was no doubt that Will would die. Jack knew he had to stab the heart, but he couldn't bring himself to do the deed. It was as if his muscles were refusing to do what his brain was telling them to do.

'Will! Will! Look at me! Stay with me! You're all right!' cried Elizabeth, rushing over to his side. Jack hesitated as Bootstrap attacked Jones. Elizabeth's cries of distress tore through his own heart. 'Will! Will! Look at me! Look at me!' Jack knew what must be done. He would sacrifice his own immortality for Elizabeth's happiness. He ran to Will's side and placed the heart on the deck beside him, taking Will's hand and closing his fingers around Jack's broken sword. Elizabeth understood what Jack was doing and helped, and between them, they helped Will to plunge the sword down into the heart.

Jones turned, his tentacles twitching madly, staring blankly at the scene in front of him. With one final gasp of 'Calypso', he fell over the edge of the Flying Dutchman into the depths of the maelstrom below.

'No,' gasped Elizabeth, as Will's eyes closed and he took a rasping breath. 'No! No! NO!'

'Part of the crew, part of the ship,' chanted the crew as they slowly walked towards Will's limp body. Jack realized what was about to happen and knew he couldn't allow Elizabeth to watch it. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her away from Will's body, grabbing a rope, a sail and a rifle to use to make their escape from the ship.

'Hold on,' he told her and she clutched his chest as he fired a shot, releasing them into the upwind from the maelstrom, the sail acting as a parachute to carry them out into safe waters. She sobbed into his chest as they floated over the Dutchman as it sank. Having landed, they swum over to the Pearl, which had thankfully survived the battle.

* * *

><p>Following the defeat of the Endeavour, Jack strolled across the deck of the Pearl to where Elizabeth was stood.<p>

'Barbossa tells me you married Mr Turner,' he said sadly.

'Yes,' she replied.

'I hope you have a long and happy life together,' he said bitterly, before adding with a smirk, 'Well, I suppose Will's life is guaranteed to be long, if not happy.'

'Jack,' she said.

'I'm sorry, love,' he said.

'Don't be sorry,' she said. 'If it weren't for you, I wouldn't see Will ever again, let alone just once every ten years. Thank you. I know how much it cost you to save him.'

'It was nothing,' he lied. 'I did what any man would have done in my situation.'

'Not any man,' she said. 'Remember when I said you were a good man?' They both smiled at the memory. 'It's actions like this that make you one. I admire you a lot, you know.'

'What's to admire about me?' smirked Jack. 'I'm a simple pirate who relies on luck and improvisation to avoid sticky situations. There's no skill or deep-thinking that goes into anything I do.'

'That's what I admire,' she grinned. 'You're just plain old Jack and everyone loves you for it.'

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><p>Jack had said his goodbyes to Elizabeth and left her on an island with Will for their one day together. It had been more painful than he'd anticipated, but he sailed away to Tortuga with no regrets and some happy memories, as well as a determination to move on with his life. Elizabeth had chosen her life, and Jack would accept her decision as her happiness was the only thing he wanted.<p>

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><p><em>Yep, I know it's a poor chapter, but things get more interesting soon. I promise! :)<em>


	24. Harry

**_IMPORTANT:_**_ So far I've kept the story pretty accurate to the films, but now there are two big changes I'm making:_

_1. Lizzie is not pregnant with Will's child._

_2. Barbossa didn't steal the Pearl from Jack._

_So now you know this, read on! :)_

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><p><strong>24. Harry<strong>

The crew of the Pearl spent two weeks in Tortuga. As well as the usual entertainments, they had stocked up on supplies and found some new crew members to replace those who lost their lives in the battle of the maelstrom. They were just loading everything onto the ship ready to depart when Jack heard a voice behind him.

'Captain Sparrow!'

Jack turned and saw a young lad walking towards him. Jack assumed he must only be a teenager because he had a small figure and his voice was too high to belong to a man. He wore dirty clothes and an oversized hat kept his filthy face in shadows.

'Yes m'lad?'

'I wish to join your crew.'

There was something familiar about this boy. Jack couldn't quite put his finger on it.

'And what's yer name?'

'Harry,' said the boy, a slight waver in his voice.

Jack's eyes fell to the sword in the belt around the boy's waist. He knew that sword. Perhaps the previous owner had sold it, and this boy had ended up with it. It was too much of a coincidence for Jack to accept. He took his compass and flipped it open, smiling as it confirmed what he had previously thought.

'Welcome to me crew,_ Harry_,' said Jack, snapping the compass shut.

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><p>Jack stood at the helm, looking down over the deck of the ship where the crew was working. His eyes kept wandering to where Harry was kneeling, scrubbing the deck with a sponge and a bucket of water like he had been instructed to.<p>

'Mr Cotton, will you take them helm?' asked Jack. 'I have some important business to attend to.'

Cotton's parrot squarked an affirmative and Jack walked across the deck towards where Harry was scrubbing the deck. He was stopped on his way by Gibbs.

'Ah, cap'n,' he said. 'I was hoping to find ye. See, the thing is…'

'Mr Gibbs, would you mind leaving this to another time?' asked Jack. 'I need to have a word with our newest crew member.'

'He's a hard-worker, that one,' said Gibbs.

'So I've seen,' said Jack, walking over to Harry. 'Master Harry, a word in my cabin please?'

'Aye captain,' said Harry.

He stood and followed Jack into the cabin, where Jack closed the door behind them.

'Yes, captain?'

'It's alright, love. There's no need to keep up the pretenses in here?'

'Sorry?'

'Lizzie, I know it's you.'

'Bugger,' Elizabeth muttered, taking off her hat so that Jack could see her face. Her hair, which had been plaited and pushed up under the hat, fell down her back.

'That's no way for a governor's daughter to speak,' teased Jack.

'I'm not a governor's daughter anymore, Jack,' said Elizabeth. 'I'm a pirate.'

'So you are. Now was the disguise intended for me or for the rest of me crew?'

'Both. What gave me away?' asked Elizabeth.

'The sword,' said Jack. 'It's Chinese and very distinctive. You don't see many like that in Tortuga, let alone on a young lad.'

'Damn,' said Elizabeth bitterly. 'I nearly sold it to buy a more common one, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. It's like a part of me now.'

'Spoken like a true pirate,' said Jack. 'Now what are ye planning to do now? If ye don't mind me saying, that disguise is fine for a couple of days, but if ye ever take the hat off, then it's ruined.'

'I don't know,' she said.

'I can protect ye Lizzie,' said Jack. 'Against the rest of the crew. I'm not going to give ye any privileges, but if any member of the crew takes advantage of ye, I'll run them through with me sword. There's plenty of empty corners on the ship. I can clean one out for ye, set up a hammock and put a curtain up to give you privacy.'

Elizabeth considered this.

'I like that, captain.'

'I'm only 'captain' when we're working,' said Jack. 'It's Jack when we're being friendly.'

'Alright Jack.'

'There is one more option,' said Jack with a sly grin.

'There is?'

'You could always share the captain's bed with me,' grinned Jack, stepping forward so that their faces almost touched.

Elizabeth slapped him. Jack clutched his cheek and watched as she stormed out of the room. He saw that she'd left her hat behind.

'Lizzie! Wait! Yer hat!'

He chased her out onto the deck. Gibbs and three other men were standing with their mouths open at Elizabeth, who had resumed her scrubbing of the deck.

'Jack!It's Miss Elizabeth!' said Gibbs.

'I had noticed,' said Jack, pushing past them and dropping the hat back on Elizabeth's head. 'Lizzie, darling, you forgot your hat.'

'Don't you dare call me 'darling', Jack Sparrow!'

'It's _Captain_ Jack Sparrow,' said Jack.

'Well you're a pathetic excuse for a pirate!' yelled Elizabeth. 'Especially a captain.'

'Ye can't speak to me like that!' Jack shouted back. 'I'm superior to you, and you should remember that and give me the respect.'

'As a Pirate Lord, you are actually inferior to me as your King,' she spat.

'Well I'm the one with a ship!' shouted Jack. 'If you're the King of the Brethren Court, you should be captaining yer own ship, not scrounging a ride off mine!'

'I am not scrounging a ride!' yelled Elizabeth. 'I chose to be a part of your crew because I thought that you were different to all of the other dirty bilge-rats who call themselves a captain. But no! You're the same kind of filthy womanising scumbag as the rest. You think that just because every whore in the world jumps straight into your bed every time that the ship makes port, I would too! Well I won't!'

The rest of the crew had gathered round to watch the argument and they sniggered.

'Lizzie, love…'

'It's 'Mrs Turner' to you!' Her words struck Jack through his heart. 'I hate you Jack!' she shouted, and she picked up the bucket of dirty water that she'd been using to clean the deck and threw it over him.

Jack shook himself and gazed into Elizabeth's eyes. They were cold and full of hatred.

'You two!' he said, pointing at Pintel and Ragetti. 'Lock her in the brig.' The two men grabbed Elizabeth and dragged her towards the stairs leading below deck.

She yelled out. 'Jack Sparrow, you filthy bastard! You can't do this to me.'

'Actually _Mrs Turner_, I'm captain of this ship and I think you'll find I have every right to do this.' Jack smirked as she carried on screaming as she was dragged down the stairs, but inside he could not have felt worse. He had seen the look in her eyes and it had really hurt him. 'And the rest of ye, get back to work!' yelled Jack as he walked towards his cabin. 'This ship won't sail itself.'

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><p><em>I'm sorry. :') But I really enjoy writing arguments!<em>

_Please leave me a review. It won't take you long! :)_

_xxxxx_


	25. The Brig

_I really do love these next few chapters! :) I really hope you feel the same way about them. Of course, if you don't, tell me in a review and let me know what can be improved. And if you do, then tell me as well so I can keep doing the same._

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><p><strong>25. The Brig<strong>

'Mrs Turner,' said Jack as he walked into the brig. Elizabeth ignored him. She was sitting against the wall of the brig with her knees tucked into her chest. As Jack stepped closer, the light fell on her face and Jack could see that her eyes were red and puffy from where she'd been crying.

'Ye know, if ye'd attacked me with anything other than a bucket of water I could have had you shot for mutiny,' joked Jack lightheartedly.

She ignored him again and he unlocked her cell, walking inside.

'Lizzie, these aren't word I've said very often,' said Jack. 'In fact I could probably count the number of times I've said it on one hand after someone had cut a couple of me fingers off, but I'm going to say it now because I really mean it.' Elizabeth looked up and Jack took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry for trying to take advantage of ye, and I've felt like shit ever since because I'd just promised to protect ye from the rest of the crew and then I went and did it meself and…'

'Jack, will you get on with it, or just shut up?' she asked.

Jack smiled.

'As I said, love, I don't do it all that often, so when I do I'm not too good at it.'

'It's okay Jack,' said Elizabeth. 'But I'm not going to say sorry about the water. You deserved it.'

'No, ye shouldn't be,' said Jack. 'If I'm honest, I quite enjoyed it. It was a hot day and it cooled me down nicely. And it probably counts as this year's bath!'

'Jack, that's disgusting!' said Elizabeth, turning her nose up at him.

Jack walked over to her and sat down beside her.

'Even though yer the Pirate King, there are still a couple o' things ye need to be taught about being a pirate,' said Jack.

'Like what?' asked Elizabeth.

'Like breaking out of cells to start with!' said Jack. 'I'm surprised the whelp didn't…'

'Don't call him that,' she said.

'Fine, said Jack resentfully. 'I'm surprised your darling William didn't teach you how to do it. He was the one who taught me that trick. Ye see these doors? Half pin-barrel hinges. All ye need is a bit of leverage. I'd show ye, but I might be needing this cell again if I get attacked by another bucket of water!'

Elizabeth smiled. 'Will taught you that?'

'Aye, when he helped me escape from jail the morning after Barbossa kidnapped you.'

'I miss him Jack,' she said, leaning on his shoulder.

Jack opened his eyes in worry and concern. He hadn't come down here to listen to her empty her heart out about Will.

'It's only right that ye should miss him,' said Jack uncomfortably. 'He's yer husband. Ye love him.'

'But do I?'

'Ye don't?' asked Jack, surprised.

'I fell in love with a blacksmith, an honest pirate, if you can get such a thing,' said Elizabeth. 'Will changed so much over the last few months. It was like I hardly knew him anymore.'

'But ye married him!'

'Because I thought we were both going to die, and I wanted to die happy. He made me an offer, and I accepted. And…' She paused and shook her head. 'Never mind.'

'So ye don't love him?' asked Jack.

'I don't know,' she said.

'Does he love you?'

'I think so, but he…'

She paused and Jack waited.

'Did ye…' Jack started awkwardly, '…um, did ye have yer wedding night?'

Elizabeth looked up at Jack and raised her eyebrows.

'I'll take that as a yes,' said Jack.

'Yes we did, not that it's any of your business,' she said. 'But he said that he doesn't expect me to sit around waiting for him. He said that the marriage would have been annulled when he died, and that as long as I was on our island for the one day, he didn't mind what I did for the rest of the ten years.'

'That was a good thing fer him to do,' said Jack.

'It was him that suggested I joined you on the Pearl, actually,' she said.

'Really?'

'He said he knew that you'd look after me and that at least I'd have friends on this ship, unlike if I sailed with the Empress,' said Elizabeth.

'I'll look after ye Lizzie,' he said, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. 'It can be Lizzie and Jack, sailing the world on the Pearl, and nothing can get in our way.'

She smiled and Jack dropped a kiss to her forehead.

'Thank you Jack,' she said. 'You're a good man, letting me stay on your ship.'

'I know, love,' he replied. And suddenly he was kissing her, pushing her down onto the floor to lie above her, nibbling her bottom lip, his hands roaming down her body. His palm cupped her breast through her thin shirt, and it was then that she slapped him.

'Ouch! What was that for?'

She pushed him off her and strode to the door of the cell. 'You're a pig, Jack.' She slammed the cell door closed on him and locked it, taking the key with her to the stairs and smirking at him, before disappearing upstairs.

'Lizzie, get back down here now!' he yelled. 'Lizzie! ELIZABETH SWANN … I mean TURNER! Damn you, stupid bitch!' He kicked the cell door angrily, and regretted it, hopping around as his toe throbbed painfully.

After a quick glance around the cell, he realized that there was nothing in the cell he could use as leverage. He'd made sure he'd removed any such items years ago after the whelp had taught him the trick, so that any prisoners he was holding couldn't get out before he wanted them to. Unless he was going to use his knife to hack his way through the hull of the ship, which he wasn't because he couldn't bring himself to damage the Pearl, he was going to have to sit here until someone found him, preferably before the crew had decided to mutiny.


	26. Unlocked

_Mwahahaha! ;)_

* * *

><p><strong>26. Unlocked<strong>

It was several hours before Jack was finally released from his cell. Gibbs came down the stairs looking for rum and having heard the footsteps, Jack yelled out to get his attention. Ten minutes later, after Gibbs had gone back upstairs to retrieve the key off Elizabeth, Jack had been unlocked and was ranting about Elizabeth and how much he hated her to Gibbs.

'What gives her the damn right to lock me up in me own brig?' he moaned angrily as they trudged up the stairs to the deck. 'I should make her walk the plank for this. Or just throw her into the men's sleeping quarters and lock her in there with the entire crew for an hour or two. That'd serve her right.'

'You don't mean that Jack,' replied Gibbs.

'Yes I bloody do!' argued Jack. 'She is the most insufferable, selfish, stuck-up wench I have ever met in me life. I don't know how or why I used to put up with her.'

'That description reminds me of someone else on occasions,' said Gibbs.

'Who?' asked Jack. 'Perhaps I should maroon them on an island together.'

'Barbossa already did that,' said Gibbs, smiling.

'Barbossa did?' Realisation dawned on Jack. 'You insolent bugger, Mr Gibbs,' said Jack, shaking his head. 'You're talking about me aren't you?' He gave Gibbs a playful punch in the arm.

'I think you two have a lot in common,' said Gibbs. 'You say she's an insufferable, selfish, stuck-up wench, and you're…'

'I'm not a wench,' he said bluntly.

'But you aren't denying you're insufferable and stuck-up,' smiled Gibbs.

'Gibbs, who is the captain here?'

'You are, Jack.'

'I thought so,' replied Jack. 'So why am I letting you insult me?'

'I prefer to call it giving advice, rather than insulting you,' grinned Gibbs.

'Can I give you some advice? Go and run the ship for me. I'm going to my cabin.'

Jack made a sudden dash across the deck to avoid Elizabeth because he'd just spotted her on the deck of the ship. He could have confronted her, but decided that another big argument wasn't the best option. It was sunset, meaning Jack had been locked in the cell for a few hours. Jack paced around his cabin for a while and then sat in his huge chair with a bottle of rum, contemplating all of the possible courses of action he could take. After an hour and a half of thinking, he had finally decided on a plan, one which he would enjoy very much.

In order to carry out his plan, he waited for the bell signaling the change of watches at ten o'clock. He then waited a couple more minutes and walked out onto the deck. Just as he'd hoped, most of the men had gone below deck to either sleep, or drink and play cards. There were just the three men on night watch and Elizabeth standing on the deck.

'Lizzie,' he said, walking over to her.

'Bugger off, Jack.'

'That's no way to speak to your captain,' he said. 'And it's not the way to behave by locking him in his own brig either.'

'You deserved it,' she said.

'Please can I explain myself?'

'How can you possibly justify your actions?' she asked, finally looking into Jack's eyes. 'You try to take advantage of me, and then as soon as you've finished apologizing for the first time, you do it again.'

'Lizzie, I'm so sorry,' said Jack, touching her arm. She pulled it away quickly. 'I shouldn't have done it. It's just I couldn't help it.' She looked at him curiously. 'I … I just think you're …' He stammered. 'You're beautiful.' Her eyes widened. 'I can't help finding ye so attractive. I just can't help how I feel about ye.'

'And how do you feel about me?' she asked softly, her voice barely audible.

'Lizzie,' he whispered tentatively. 'I think … I think I love you.'

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><p><em>Sorry for the short chapter, but with a final line like this, I couldn't not leave it as a cliffhanger (yes, I know I'm being mean!) Please review, because the more reviews I get, the quicker you'll find out what Elizabeth's reaction to Jack's confession is! <em>

_Lots and lots of love to those of you who have left reviews on previous chapters! :D It is very much appeciated!_


	27. Revenge

_When I told you in the last chapter that I was a mean writer, I really wasn't joking!_

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><p><strong>27. Revenge<strong>

'You what?' asked Elizabeth, her eyes widening in shock. She no longer looked to be angry at him.

'I love you,' he repeated softly, taking her hand in his and giving it a little squeeze.

'You love me?' she asked and he nodded. 'Jack, why didn't you tell me this before.'

'Before what?'

'Before I married Will,' she whispered.

'I think I've loved you for a long time, it's just it took me a while to work it out. I think you're beautiful and lovely and…'

'Oh Jack,' she said, pulling him into her arms and kissing him. Jack kissed her back eagerly. This was going better than he had planned. She had kissed him, not the other way around as he thought would have to be the case. His hands rested on her hips, hers wrapped around his neck and pulled his head closer into her head. Jack probed along her lips with his tongue, and she opened her mouth, darting her own tongue out to meet his eagerly. She wound some of his hair around her fingers and played with it gently.

Jack walked her back and pushed her against the mast, his hand moving down behind her thigh to lift it up around his waist. He kissed along her jaw and then returned his mouth to hers, savouring the sweet taste of her lips, not wanting this moment to end, but regretting that it must as he snapped the handcuff closed around her wrist. He pulled away from her with a smirk and she looked between him and the chain around her wrist. She looked even more attractive than normal, her lips red and swollen, her cheeks flushed and her hair slightly ruffled, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

'You…'

'Pirate,' he grinned.

'You didn't mean any of it?' she asked furiously.

'Nope,' he said.

'You don't love me?'

'Nope,' lied Jack, with an indifferent shrug. 'A little trick I picked up on me travels, telling a woman I love her in order to get what I want out of her. I thought it'd be harder with you, but it turns out you're just like every other wench I know. All I need to do is say that I love you and then I have you wrapped around my little finger.'

'You complete and utter bastard!'

'You made it remarkably easy, Mrs Turner,' grinned Jack. 'I seem to recollect that it was you who kissed me first, not the other way around. Thank you. It gave me time to enjoy meself before getting to the point. If I'd kissed you it would have been a lot briefer.'

'Jack Sparrow, you let me go right now!' she ordered as he walked away, whistling softly.

'It's _Captain_, love,' he said with a laugh. 'And oh look, it's starting to rain.' He gave her a gleeful grin as the first few drops of a Caribbean storm fell from the sky. 'Enjoy your shower, your majesty.' He touched the rim of his hat and bowed in a small salute to her as he walked towards his cabin.

He shut himself in his cabin, knowing that the only key to unlock her was safely in there with him. If she was as clever as Jack, she'd find a way to escape, but Jack doubted she would. So instead, he sat back down in his chair with a bottle of rum and sang 'A Pirate's Life For Me', celebrating his revenge on Elizabeth and basking in his own cleverness and cunning, trying to use the drink to push away the nagging feeling of guilt that nestled in the back of his mind.

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><p>Jack's dreams were chopped up and distorted that night. His mind replayed fragments of that evenings events, and he also relived the day Elizabeth had chained him to the mast. These images were broken up by screams belonging to Elizabeth. Her screams pierced through the darkness and a figure emerged, ghostly white and blurry, yet Jack could have recognized it as his mother from any distance.<p>

'Why d'ye do it Jackie?' she asked.

'I had to,' he replied. 'She locked me in the brig. She deserved it.'

'Did ye not like what ye saw in the future then?' his mother asked. 'You could have had her, son. She could have been yours. Ye might have ruined the only chance you ever had with 'er.'

'I couldn't just give in,' Jack replied. 'I'm a pirate, ma. I don't back down for love.'

'Your loss,' she replied, fading away. 'But don't come complaining to me when ye lose her forever.'

'I don't care,' Jack lied. 'She's not worth my time and effort. She's only a stupid wench.'

'Ye never could lie to me, Jackie,' said the ghost, disappearing.

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><p>Jack awoke as another horrible scream ripped through his sleeping mind. He looked around the cabin. It was dark and silent, the only sound coming from the torrential rain outside. He sighed, and dozed back to sleep again, hoping that his dreams would be less disturbing than before.<p>

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><p><em>Come on, be honest. You weren't expecting that, were you? At least, if the comments in the reviews were anything to go by, you all thought Jack was deadly serious and that Elizabeth might reject him, not the other way around!<em>

_I'm sorry. I bet you all hate me for this. I promise to be a bit nicer in the future. _

_As for now, please review. It made me so happy to get so many reviews for the last chapter that I put this one up sooner than I was going to. I was going to leave you all waiting for another couple of days, but I think I'm being horrible enough this chapter anyway! _


	28. Apologies

_Yeah, I know I've been rubbish and haven't updated for a while, but I've hit a brick wall with the next bit. It's really annoying, because I have loads of time to write at the moment too. Don't worry, I've been using this time to write some of the later chapters instead, but it means updates will be slow until I can get through the next little bit._

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><p><strong>28. Apologies<strong>

'Jack! JACK!' There was a loud crash as Gibbs threw the cabin door open and woke Jack up as he blundered in. He was soaked, and Jack heard the rain hammering against the deck outside the cabin. 'Jack, I need the keys to the handcuffs on the mast. Miss Elizabeth, she's…'

'Yes,' grumbled Jack. 'I know. I was the one who chained her to it.'

'Jack, she's unconscious,' he said urgently. 'She's taken a chill from the rain and now she won't wake up. We need the key to release her to take her inside to warm her up.'

'She's what?' asked Jack, flinging himself out of bed and grabbing the key off his deck, running outside in just the breeches he'd slept in, ignoring the cold rain against his bare chest. Jack saw her slumped against the mast, her eyes closed and her wrist still trapped in the metal handcuff. A few of the crew were gathered around her.

'She's been here all night, cap'n,' said one of the new crew members, a teenager called Thomas. He leaned down over her and listened to her breathing. 'Her breathing's weak, we need to get her inside.'

Jack pushed Thomas and two of the other men out of the way and used the key to undo the chain around her wrist. In one swift movement, he, swung Elizabeth up over his shoulder and carried her limp body into his cabin. He laid her gently on the bed and looked around at the men in the room.

'Thomas, go and get some blankets,' ordered Jack. 'Sheets, towels, anything we can use to warm her up.'

'And oil lamps, sir?' asked the boy.

'What for?'

'It'll warm the cabin up,' replied Thomas.

'Good thinking, lad,' said Jack, and Thomas ran off to fetch the items needed. 'Gibbs, you're the ship's doctor. Can you help make her better?'

'Aye cap'n,' said Gibbs, pushing through the crowd of men who were gathered in the doorway of the cabin to lean over Elizabeth. He looked up worryingly. 'She's stopped breathing.'

'Bugger,' panicked Jack, checking and realizing he was right.

'Rip her corset off,' said one man from the door, and Jack turned to see one of the two navy men who'd joined his crew after the battle of the maelstrom. 'It's what you did back in Port Royal. You mentioned something about Singapore.'

'She's not wearing a bloody corset,' growled Jack. 'No, we'll have to do something else.' He leaned over her, closed his eyes and pressed his mouth to hers, pushing air from his own lungs into hers.

'I don't think now's the time for being affectionate Jack,' said Gibbs.

'I'm not kissing her, you fool!' he said, giving Gibbs a condescending look over his shoulder. 'It's a trick I learned in Brazil.' He repeated it, breathing into her mouth and pinching her nose so that the air had to go into her lungs. 'I'm giving her air.' He did this twice more, and on the fourth time, Elizabeth started coughing. Her eyes opened to find Jack's face inches above her own, and she slapped him, still gasping for breath.

'Ow Lizzie!'

'Do you ever stop trying to kiss me?'

'I was saving yer life, silly woman,' he said. 'Ye weren't breathing so I gave ye some of me own air. It was hardly my fault it meant my mouth had to touch yours.'

Thomas raced back into the room and threw a bundle of blankets on the bed. 'I took these off the men's hammocks,' he said, lighting a couple of oil lamps and placing them on the table beside the bed. Gibbs wrapped the blankets around Elizabeth's shivering body as Jack told the rest of the men to leave the cabin.

'That won't do any good, sir,' Thomas told Gibbs. 'Her clothes are still wet. She needs to dry out.'

'The boy's right, Mr Gibbs,' shrugged Jack, surprised by the teenager's intelligence.

'I'm not taking my clothes off,' argued Elizabeth, her eyes wide. Jack rolled his eyes and rummaged around in his cupboard for another set of clothes. He sniffed them to check they weren't too dirty and then tossed them to her.

'Here,' he said. 'They smell a bit and they'll be a bit big, but they'll do while yer others dry out. We'll leave the room while ye change. Use one of the blankets to dry yerself off.'

A couple of minutes later, Jack, Gibbs and Thomas were called back into the room. Elizabeth's wet clothes were in a soggy pile on the floor and she lay shivering on the bed, though in dry clothes. Thomas hung her clothes over an oil lamp to dry while Jack and Gibbs wrapped her up in many blankets.

'Thank you Tom,' said Gibbs, giving the boy a friendly slap on the back. 'You've been a great help. Go down to the galley and get yerself some breakfast.' Thomas nodded and left the cabin. 'Jack, I'm going to get some food for Miss Elizabeth. Is it okay if you stay with her while I'm gone?'

'Yes,' he replied, and Gibbs left the room. Jack sat next to Elizabeth on the bed and hugged her.

'What do you think you're doing Jack?' she asked, pushing him away.

'Keeping ye warm.'

'I'd rather freeze to death than have you touch me,' she said bitterly, still not looking at him.

'I'm sorry, Lizzie,' Jack said. 'I shouldn't have chained you to the mast. When it started raining…'

'So it would have been okay to chain me to the mast if it had been a nice day?' she snapped.

'No, that's not what I meant.' Elizabeth rolled her eyes at this and Jack turned defensive. 'You chained me to the mast before! And in case you've forgotten, I died as a result of your actions!'

'You'd rather I'd died today then?'

'No!' retorted Jack. 'That's why I saved ye! Ye should be thanking me for that!'

'But if you hadn't chained me to the mast in the first place, there would have been no need for you to save my life!' she shouted.

Jack realized this was a very good point and decided not to press the argument any further. 'So I'm square then. I've made up for chaining ye to the mast by saving ye, so I don't understand why yer angry at me.'

'You lied to me,' she said.

'I did not!'

'You told me you loved me!'

'You were foolish enough to believe me!' argued Jack, instantly regretting what he had said. Perhaps he should have used the opportunity to tell her he hadn't been lying. But he was a pirate, and pirates didn't let their emotions get in the way of things.

'I am not foolish…' she started angrily, but Jack put a hand up to stop her.

'Love, I hate arguing with you,' he said. 'How about we put these last couple of days behind us and start again? I miss the old Lizzie. I want things to go back to how they used to be.'

'Things haven't changed,' she said. 'You're the same arrogant prick you've always been.'

'Lizzie, please? Can we at least try?'

'Okay, but the first rule of the new us is no locking each other up,' she said. 'If we have a problem with something the other has done, we just shout instead.'

'Alright,' said Jack, glad she had agreed to forgive him.

Gibbs came in with a bowl of soup and a mug of water on a tray, which he put on Elizabeth's lap. Jack decided now would be the right time to leave.

'I'll see ye later, love,' he said, walking towards the door.

'Jack?' she called, and he turned around again. She smirked at him. 'Just because I've promised not to lock you anywhere or tie you up, it doesn't mean I like you.'

He snorted and left the cabin.

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><p><em>Please review! :)<em>

_As for the bit where Jack kind of does CPR on Lizzie, I'm not a medical expert, so sorry if it's innaccurate. I'm also aware that it probably wasn't invented/discovered back then, but Jack seems like the type of person who'd have picked something like that up on his travels._


	29. Lessons

**29. Lessons**

Jack and Elizabeth spent the next few days ignoring each other, with the only exception being when Jack had to give her a job to do. Even then, there was nothing friendly about the conversations. The first time, Jack had called her 'Mrs Turner', and she had politely told him she'd prefer it if he addressed her as 'Elizabeth', but that had been the closest they'd come to a proper conversation. The rest of the time, she replied with 'Aye captain' and got on with whatever job she'd been ordered to complete in silence. Jack didn't complain because she often did a very good job on each task he set her.

Jack had cleared a space out for her below deck as well. He had removed all of the boxes and barrels from one corner of the store and put up a curtain to separate it. Behind the curtain, he'd hung up a hammock and given her a blanket, a pillow and an oil lamp, as well as a small box for keeping her belongings in. She'd thanked Jack and then they'd both got on with their normal day.

After five days, which Jack had decided was more than enough time for Elizabeth to forgive him, he approached her as she was working, tying the ropes of the mainsail down with Ragetti.

'A word please, Elizabeth,' he said, keeping it formal in front of the one-eyed pirate.

'Yes captain,' she said, following him to the side of the ship.

'Lizzie, how would ye like me to teach ye to sail the Pearl?' he asked excitedly. She had raised her eyebrows when he'd used her nickname, and Jack realized he was giving her this opportunity more because he wanted to than because it was necessary.

'What do you mean?' she asked, biting her lip. It looked like she was wondering if there was a catch.

'Well I could teach you how to steer her to start with,' he said.

'Jack, are you alright?'

'I'm fine, love. Why?'

'You're offering to let me take the helm of the Pearl,' she said, a shocked expression on her face.

'With my supervision and expert teachings, yes,' he said. 'Is that a problem?'

'But the only two people who you ever let man the helm for more than about five minutes are Gibbs and Cotton,' she said. 'They're the two people you trust most on this ship. So why add me to that list of trustworthy enough people?'

'Well, 'cause I trust ye!'

'Jack, have you got the right person?' she asked incredulously. 'This is Lizzie you're talking to. I'm the one who locked you in your own brig the other day. I married Will behind your back, I burned the rum, I killed you!'

'Am I to understand that you are rejecting my offer and that you don't want me to teach you to sail this beautiful and powerful vessel?' he said glumly.

'No Jack,' she replied quickly. 'I'm honoured that you asked me and I'd love you to teach me. I'm just surprised that you think of me that highly.'

'Of course I do, Lizzie,' he grinned. 'Now, about these lessons. There's no time like the present.'

They walked up to the helm, where Jack dismissed Gibbs and beckoned to Lizzie to take his place. He showed her where to put her hands and then stood behind her, his hands resting over hers. Jack had noticed the intimacy of their positions, with his chest pressed firmly against her back, but he had sworn to himself after the last incident that he would put aside any feelings or desires he had for Elizabeth so as to keep their friendship intact.

'Keep a steady hand on it,' he said, letting go of her hands and taking a small step back, though remaining close enough to be able to intervene if something went wrong. 'Do you feel it?'

'Feel what?' she asked.

'You don't?' he pouted. 'Maybe it's just me, 'cause I'm the captain and she's my ship.'

'Feel what, Jack?'

'Just hold onto the helm,' he instructed. 'Keep her steady. You're in control of her.'

A couple of minutes passed in complete silence, other than the rush of the waves on the hull and the gentle whisper of the Caribbean breeze. Then Elizabeth spoke.

'Jack, I feel something,' she said excitedly.

'You do?' he grinned.

'It's like the Pearl's alive,' she said. 'Like it's breathing.'

'_She_'s breathing,' corrected Jack. 'The Pearl is a she, not an it.'

'It feels so good,' she said, sighing in contentment. 'I'm in control of this huge beautiful ship and it's like she's responding to me. It's just the most incredible feeling ever.'

'I know, love.'

She turned to look at Jack over her shoulder. 'Thank you for letting me do this Jack. I really appreciate it. I know you wouldn't just let anybody…'

The ship lurched suddenly. She had let go of the wheel and it spun frantically, the ship creaking. However, Jack's quick reflexes meant that he had grabbed the wheel instantly, regaining control of the ship. He took her place as she stood aside.

'I'm sorry Jack,' she said.

'No worries, Lizzie,' he said. 'It's your first time. That's why I'm here, to help you if you go wrong. And I wouldn't expect anybody to be perfect at it on their first attempt anyway! Well, apart from me, obviously, but I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.'

She laughed and he let her take the helm again, though he kept one of his own hands on it this time, just in case.

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><p><em>So they aren't arguing anymore! :) I thought this scene was quite cute, but let me know what you think. I haven't been getting as many reviews lately which makes me sad :( so please review! :)<em>


	30. Drunk

**30. Drunk**

The days turned into weeks, and Jack's friendship with Elizabeth built up beyond what it had been when Will had been around. It seemed to Jack as if Will had been stopping Elizabeth from being her true self, not intentionally, but through her self-consciousness when he was around. She was much more relaxed these days, and the two of them would often sit on the deck in the evening, talking well into the night.

Jack had taught Elizabeth a couple more skills that all good pirates should know. One memorable afternoon had seen the pair of them climb up to the top of the mast, where they'd sat in the crow's nest and talked for a while, before Jack remembered that he'd been supposed to relieve Gibbs from the helm. They'd scrambled down to find a mildly irritated Gibbs, but they'd all laughed about it later on.

It was a warm evening and the sun was just setting over the horizon, causing the sky to be a beautiful mix of red and dark blue. It was nearing the end of Elizabeth's first solo shift at the helm, though Jack had been keeping half an eye on her from his own position at the front of the ship. When the bell rang to signal the new shift, and Cotton took her place and she walked over to Jack.

'The ship's still in one piece,' he teased, earning himself a playful punch in the arm. 'Sorry, love. You did a wonderful job. You're a natural pirate captain. Not that you're going to be one any time soon, because I'm not letting you leave my ship and you're certainly not taking over from me!'

She laughed.

'There is one more thing I need to teach you about being a proper pirate,' he grinned.

'Oh yes?' she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Jack pulled a bottle of rum out from behind his back and a malicious glint flashed across his eyes. 'You need to learn how to drink like a pirate.'

'I refuse to get drunk,' she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

'That's what I'm teaching you,' he said. 'How to drink four bottles of rum and still know yer own name. I'm the best teacher around. I've had years of practice though.'

Elizabeth snorted.

'Come on Lizzie,' he begged. 'Let's just have a bit of fun. Just for tonight.'

'Just a couple of drinks,' she warned him. 'Then I'm going to bed.'

Jack grinned and they went into his cabin. He rummaged around in his desk drawers and pulled out a second bottle of rum and a pack of cards, putting them on the table as he sat down in the chair opposite Elizabeth.

'What's with the cards?' she asked, worriedly.

'Well, we could sit here and drink and talk like gossiping women while we drink, but I'm not here to teach ye how to be a gossiping woman am I? I'm here to teach you to be a pirate, and the one thing pirate's love to do when they drink is play cards. So we're going to spice things up a little but by playing cards with rum, savvy?'

'Jack, I don't want to get drunk,' said Elizabeth.

'And ye won't,' he said, adding with a sly grin, 'At least, not if yer good enough at the game! Now, love, have ye ever played poker before?'

She shook her head and Jack proceeded to explain the basic rules to her. After a couple of practice rounds, she seemed to have picked up the rules so they started playing properly. Jack pulled out a mug and put it in the middle of the table, telling her that instead of betting with money, they just had to pour a bit of rum into the mug, the amount of rum they poured was the size of the bet. The loser of the round had to drink the contents of the mug.

The game started off quite gently, with each of them only betting a small amount of rum, Elizabeth because she was getting used to the game and Jack because he didn't want Elizabeth to get too drunk too early on. However, the game soon got more competitive the more rum that was drunk, and the bets increased. Soon, they had drunk the two bottle of rum they had started with and Jack pulled more out of his cupboard. Jack had started drinking from his own bottle even when he didn't lose the round, and they were both very drunk soon after. Jack had also started cheating.

'Four Aces,' he said loudly, throwing down two Aces, which he always kept in his pocket and had substituted for the cards he'd actually been dealt, matching the two Aces already on the table.

Elizabeth screwed her face up in confusion.

'That's strange,' she said. 'I think all this rum has gone to my head.'

'Why, love?'

'Because I could have sworn there were only four Aces in a pack,' she said.

'There are,' grinned Jack. 'Two of them are on the table and two of them were in my hand.'

'Then why have I got a fifth Ace?' she asked, showing Jack her hand. She did indeed have an Ace. Jack gulped, hoping she was too drunk to work out he'd been cheating. 'Jack, have you been cheating?'

'No, love,' he said quickly.

'Yes you have!' she exclaimed. 'Because I have an Ace of Hearts and you have and Ace of Hearts. Jack Sparrow, you filthy cheating little swine!'

'Lizzie, have I ever told ye how gorgeous you are?' slurred Jack, hurriedly changing the subject. It seemed to work.

'I can't remember,' she said, then giggled. 'But you kiss me a lot so you must fancy me!'

'I do,' said Jack with a lopsided smile, relieved that she seemed to have forgotten her anger at him already. 'In fact…' he paused and grinned at the fantastic idea he'd just come up with. 'Lizzie, I think you're so beautiful I want to marry ye.'

'Jack, I want to marry you too,' she sighed happily. She hiccupped loudly and they both fell into fits of giggles. When they had calmed down, Jack held out both of his hands to her and wiggled his fingers.

'Pick a ring,' he said.

'Any ring?' she asked.

He narrowed his eyes and tried to think, though his brain seemed to be a bit fuzzy. 'Any except for that one.' He pointed to the largest gold ring. 'That's me mum's ring.' He furrowed his brow. 'Or is the black one hers? I can't remember. You can't have either of them, just in case.'

'So I can pick any ring except…' She hiccupped again. '…the biggest one and the black one?'

'Yep.'

'That one,' she said, pointing to a pretty red one.

'No you can't have that one!'

'But…'

'No!' he interrupted. 'Pick again.'

He took a large swig from a bottle, spilling some of the contents down his chin. It trickled into his beard and dripped onto the table.

'That one!' Elizabeth said excitedly, pointing to a gold ring.

'No, that's my special ring!'

'Damn Jack, which rings can I have?'

'That one,' he said, pointing to an emerald ring. 'Or … that one.'

'That's the same ring, silly!' she giggled.

'No it isn't!' he said defiantly.

'Yes it is!'

'Just choose, woman!' he said loudly, and she pointed to the emerald ring. Jack sighed impatiently. 'No, that's my mum's ring. Honestly Lizzie, you call yourself a woman? You're rubbish!'

'But you said I could have it!' she argued, waving an empty rum bottle at him. He snatched it from her and tried to drink from it.

'The rum's gone!' he exclaimed.

'I drunk it!' she shouted, bursting into more giggles.

'You can have this ring,' he said pulling the black ring off his finger. He stood up and staggered sideways, which she laughed loudly at, then gained his balance and kneeled on one knee on the floors in front of her.

'Lizzie, will you marry me?' he slurred with a childish grin.

'Yes Jack!'

'No, Lizzie,' he said grumpily. 'That's not how it works!'

'Then how does it work?' Elizabeth huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

'You're only allowed to say yes if ye give me a bottle of rum first.'

'You made that up!'

'Do ye want to marry me or not?'

'Fine,' she sighed. She grabbed a bottle off the table and thrust it into his arms, snatching the ring off him and sliding onto her finger with a soppy smile. She admired it for a few moments, looking at it from different angles.

'Lizzie, ye vile wench!' he exclaimed a little too loudly. 'This is the empty one!' To prove his point, he tipped it upside down over his face, only to find himself suddenly very wet as the bottle proved it hadn't been empty and poured its contents over him.

'Bugger!' he yelled, shaking himself as Elizabeth started laughing. 'This is your fault, wench!'

Lizzie slid sideways off her chair and ended up on the floor beside Jack. They both lay there and laughed for a few minutes until they'd calmed down.

'Bloody hell, I'm tired,' sighed Jack with a yawn.

'Me too,' Elizabeth replied, sitting up.

'Goodnight, my beautiful…' Jack furrowed his brow in thought. 'Lizzie, what's that word?'

'What word?'

'When a man asks a woman to marry him they have a special word for each other.'

'Darling?' she suggested.

'No, it begins with an f,' he said, thinking deeply. 'Fen … fr … fare. Dammit, love, what is that bloody word? Fl … fins …'

'Fiancée!' she shouted excitedly.

'Yes!' he roared. 'My beautiful fiancée!'

'Night Jack,' she said, planting a sloppy kiss on his lips before getting to her feet and stumbling to the door of the cabin and waving to him, hiccupping again.

'Night love,' he said, smiling as she closed the door.


	31. The Morning After

_THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU ALL! Because I had six reviews in the first few hours of the last chapter being up and a couple more overnight, I worked extra hard and wrote this today so I could update as soon as possible. I know it's shortish, but I wanted to thank you all for making that effort yesterday!_

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><p><strong>31. The Morning After<strong>

Jack was lying on something hard. He was also aware of the throbbing in his head, though thankfully, he'd had worse hangovers. The more pressing matter was that he'd just remembered the events of the previous night before he'd passed out. He remembered Lizzie leaving his room with an agreement to get married between them, and he was dreading their next meeting because he knew he'd probably get a slap.

Jack opened his eyes and saw the table legs in front of his eyes, confirming that he had indeed passed out on the floor of his cabin. He sat up slowly and rubbed his temples, before getting up and leaving the cabin to face Elizabeth's inevitable wrath.

It was a lovely day, sunny but not too hot, thanks to the gentle breeze. Jack paced the deck as he ordered his crew around, enjoying the quietness while he could. He noticed that Elizabeth was yet to make an appearance this morning, but he wasn't going to go below deck and scold her, partly because it was his own fault for getting her drunk and partly because he was putting of a confrontation between them.

He was so involved in listening for her shrieking his name in anger that he jumped when her voice said his name softly from just behind him. She smirked.

'Did I startle you?' she asked.

'No,' he lied.

'I just wanted to give you this back,' she said, holding out the ring. Jack took it and slipped in back onto his finger. 'About last night, it was just a drunken misunderstanding. I don't want you to think I have feelings for you in that way because I don't and I know you don't for me either. I don't want it to be awkward.'

'Right,' said Jack, thinking privately to himself that it couldn't be more awkward than it was at the moment. 'You aren't going to shout at me then?'

'What for?'

'Getting you drunk,' he shrugged. 'Taking advantage of ye.'

'Firstly, I enjoyed last night,' she smiled. 'It was a lot of fun, even if you did cheat.'

'Bugger,' muttered Jack, to her amusement. 'Just a little trick I like to use to make sure I don't lose money. It normally works because the people I play against aren't too clever to notice extra cards, especially when drunk.'

She laughed. 'And secondly, you didn't take advantage of me. Yes, you proposed to me, but that was a little mistake and no harm was done.' Jack refrained from telling her how much harm it was doing to him to hear her dismiss it so easily. 'You could have done a lot worse, and to be honest, I think I was so drunk I wouldn't have stopped you. So thank you for not trying anything.'

'How are ye this morning?' he asked.

'I've been better, but it's nothing I can't cope with,' she shrugged.

'Good,' Jack said smiling. 'Most women wouldn't be fit to talk, let alone get up after drinking the amount you did last night. I can't count the number of times I've been slapped by a hungover woman.'

'If you're missing the experience, I don't mind cooperating,' she grinned.

'Nah, I'm alright.'

'I don't regret last night at all,' said Elizabeth. 'I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime.'

She smiled at Jack and walked away across the deck to join her fellow crew members who were hard at work, the mid-morning sun shining off her wavy hair.

Jack sighed. He was relieved that she hadn't been angry and surprised that she seemed to have enjoyed herself. However, there was an empty feeling inside him. She'd completely rejected him. The fact that she'd dealt with the matter so calmly and dismissed any possibility of them being more than friends hurt Jack. He'd almost rather she'd shouted and slapped him, for at least he would have known she'd said no because they'd been drunk, not because she just didn't want to marry him.

His mother had been right in the dream he'd had a few weeks ago. He'd ruined any possibility of what he'd seen in the future ever coming true when he'd chained her to the mast. He'd wasted a decade of pining after her in one selfish act of revenge.

But then Jack remembered the vision of the future. Had there actually been marriage? All he'd seen was himself kissing Lizzie, and then their son had run onto the deck. Technically, they might not have been husband and wife, though he knew Lizzie and it seemed unlikely she would commit to a relationship and family without marrying first.

Jack decided there were three possible causes of action he could take. He could just forget it all and remain friends with Lizzie. That would be by far the easiest option, but it wasn't in Jack's nature to give up. He'd worked too hard to get this far. The second option was to forget possibilities of marriage, for Jack wasn't even sure he was ready to settle down in a long term relationship anyway, and just aim to get Elizabeth into his bed, perhaps resulting in the birth of Henry, their son. Yet from past experience, he knew that trying to seduce Elizabeth only resulted arguments and her slapping him. No, Jack would have to go for the third choice. He would appeal to Elizabeth's romantic side.

Jack retreated to his cabin and set to planning the perfect romantic evening with Lizzie.


	32. Crow's Nest

**32. Crow's Nest**

Jack took three days to perfect his plan. Plundering a sunken ship off the coast of Jamaica delayed things for another two days. He then had to wait for the perfect evening.

A week after they had looted the treasure, Jack left his cabin in the early evening and smiled. The sun was setting over the horizon, the last glints of red and orange disappearing. There wasn't a single cloud in the inky blue sky, and a few of the stars were already glinting above. Perfect.

Elizabeth was standing at the side of the ship, looking out towards the setting sun with a smile on her face.

'Lizzie?'

She turned to look at him. 'Jack.'

'Have you eaten yet?' he asked.

'No,' Elizabeth replied. 'I was just going to go down to the galley when the sun had set.'

'I have an alternative proposition for you,' said Jack. 'How about ye come with me up to the crow's nest and we'll eat up there. It's a beautiful night, and it seems a shame not to spend it under the stars.'

'That's a lovely idea Jack,' she smiled and he sighed with relief. He thought it might have to take a lot of effort to convince her to go up there in the first place.

They climbed up the rigging and into the crow's nest, where Jack had laid out two plates of fish and bread, along with three bottles. There was an oil lamp in the centre, lighting up the meal. They squeezed into the cramped space and sat opposite each other.

'Wow Jack,' Elizabeth said, in awe. 'You've put in a lot of effort here.'

'It was no trouble, love,' replied Jack. 'I just wanted to have an enjoyable time with ye.'

They began to eat, talking about the recent goings-on of the Pearl and discussing what they would do next. Jack told her that they were heading for Tortuga because it had been a while since they'd been there and the men needed a break.

When they had finished the meal, Jack opened one of the bottles of rum and offered it to Elizabeth. She took a cautious sip and handed it back. Jack didn't blame her. The last time she'd been drunk, she'd ended up engaged.

'They're fascinating, aren't they?' Elizabeth asked, gesturing up to the stars. The sky was completely black now, and they stood out as they gleamed above them. 'Look, there's Orion. You can see it because of the belt.'

'You know about stars then?' he asked, surprised. Jack, of course, knew all about them because he'd spent his whole life at sea, but he was surprised Elizabeth could recognise them.

'I used to find them fascinating as a child,' she replied, smiling at the memory. 'One of my governesses taught me about them, and we had a couple of books in the library about them. I used to sneak in there at night and read, and those books were among those that I read. Look, there's Casseopia, that looks like a 'W', and that there is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.'

'I'm impressed,' said Jack, drinking from the bottle of rum. 'I never knew young girls were taught so much. I thought they were taught sewing and dancing and playing the piano.'

'I was,' laughed Elizabeth. 'But father also wanted me to be taught proper subjects, like History and Geography. I managed to persuade a couple of the governesses to teach me about other things like stars. Some of them let me free to learn things myself so they could have the time off, but father dismissed them when he found out. Will and I used to run onto the beach and he'd teach me swordfighting and climbing trees.'

'So Will's to blame for your reckless, adventurous side?' teased Jack.

'No,' said Elizabeth. 'I was curious anyway. I used to leave the house and go out exploring in the woods in England, long before I met Will.'

Conversations continued and the rum flowed. Or at least, it did where Jack was concerned. He noticed that Elizabeth didn't seem to be drinking much, but he just drunk it instead, feeling slightly tipsy a bit later on. It was getting late and they were both a bit tired. He had wrapped his coat around Elizabeth's shoulders to keep her warm and he had his arm around her, pulling her close to his body. The evening had been perfect, just as he had planned. He was very happy.

'Ye know, Lizzie,' said Jack. 'This has turned out to be quite a romantic evening. Sat up here, me favourite, most attractive crew member in me arms, the rum, gazing up at the stars.'

'Thank you Jack,' she said, leaning against his chest. 'It's been an enjoyable evening.'

'Do ye know what would make it even more enjoyable?' he asked, shuffling their positions in the cramped space so that they were looking into each other's eyes, their faces almost touching.

'What?' she whispered, her lips barely an inch away from his.

'This,' he said, closing the gap. He started softly, letting his lips tentatively move over hers, but when her tongue darted out to touch his bottom lip, he opened his mouth immediately to allow her entrance. As the kiss deepened with the contact between their tongues, Jack lifted her onto his lap so that she was straddling his legs. The taste of rum in her mouth was too much for Jack and he began to work on undressing her, pushing the coat off her shoulders. She groaned and he pulled her closer to him, allowing her to feel the excitement in his groin pressing into her thigh.

Unfortunately, this triggered an alert in her.

'Jack, what are you doing?'

'What does it look like?' he said against her neck. He'd started on her shirt buttons, but she swatted his hand away. He was persistent and tried again.

'Jack, get off me.'

'Actually, love, you're on top of me. Though I can change that if ye want.' He awkwardly switched their positions so that she was below him and kissed her again.

'Jack,' she panted between kisses. 'This is thoroughly inappropriate.'

'Yet highly enjoyable,' he murmured against her lips. He had given up on her shirt and instead cupped her breast through the thin material.

'Captain Sparrow, I don't think I'm particularly happy about a man who is not my husband touching me so … intimately.'

'Then make me yer husband,' said Jack, sucking on her neck and causing her to groan again.

'Are you proposing to me?

'I believe I am.' He slipped a hand beneath the waistband of her breeches and ran it over her smooth bottom before giving it an affectionate squeeze.

'Absolutely not!' she said.

'Come on Lizzie,' begged Jack. 'I'll give ye a wedding night ye'll never forget.'

Without warning, she sharply raised her knee so that it made contact with Jack between his legs, a move which was twice as painful for Jack as it should have been due to the currently inflamed state of that area of his body. As he cried out in pain, she clambered out from beneath him and climbed out of the crow's nest.

'No thank you,' she spat, disappearing from view.

'Ungrateful wench!' he said slightly louder than necessary. He groaned. It had been such a perfect evening. Why did he have to let the rum mess with his brain and ruin it all?

* * *

><p><em>I'm sorry he's such an idiot! :( When will he ever learn? :P<em>


	33. Fighting

**33. Fighting**

Jack apologised the following morning and they spent the rest of the voyage to Tortuga keeping out of each other's way. Jack had also sworn to himself that he would never touch rum again. To his surprise, he'd managed it so far with ease. But he had no idea if he'd be able to cope in Tortuga, and if he did succumb and drink, what his next drunken move on Elizabeth would be. He would just have to keep out of her way.

They docked in Tortuga and Jack told them that they would be leaving early the following morning. He set up a rota for watching the ship while they were there, adding a couple of extra people to it when Gibbs informed him that Barbossa's crew had been spotted in Tortuga, just to make sure the older Pirate Lord wouldn't try anything while Jack was off the ship.

Elizabeth had already left the ship, which Jack cursed himself about. He'd wanted to make sure she wasn't alone and that she was going in her boy disguise. He knew she was probably sensible enough not to take risks, but he couldn't be too careful.

Having left the ship, Jack walked through the crowded streets. He dismissed the whores who immediately approached him, deciding that he didn't want their attention, something else that surprised him. Elizabeth was still on his mind and he didn't really want to have another woman in the way while his mind was far from easy. Instead, he set about doing captainly duties around the town.

Having spent the afternoon in one of the quieter areas of town, and successfully avoiding all of the drinking establishments, he decided to head back to the ship and get an early night. However, as he passed a narrow alley, he heard something that caught his attention.

'Well well, what have we got here?' laughed a deep voice. 'Two little boys, all alone.'

'And not too bad off, by the looks o' things,' said a second man. 'This one's got a fancy sword.'

At this Jack knew it was Elizabeth before he'd even seen what was going on. He slowly crept into the shadowy passage and saw Elizabeth and Thomas cowering at the end, two large pirates leaning over them.

'I reckon we could get ourselves quite a bit o' money if we sold it,' said the first man. 'Oi, you. Give us that sword.'

'No,' said Elizabeth's quiet voice and Jack groaned.

The man slapped her round the face and she gasped out in pain.

'Give us that sword, or that little slap will be the worst of your troubles,' jeered the man.

'I don't think you wanted to say that, _mate_,' said Jack, pulling out his sword and pressing it to the side of the man's neck. His friend drew his sword and turned to face Jack. Elizabeth caught Jack's eye and he looked away.

'And who would you be?' asked the second man, a wicked smile on his face.

'I don't think that's really important at the moment,' said Jack. 'Now, I suggest you two thugs run off back to where you came from, because you don't want to be on the wrong end of my sword when I'm angry, savvy?'

'No,' grinned the man who Jack was pointing his sword at, turning to face him. 'I don't think you have any idea who you're picking a fight with.'

'I don't think you do either,' yelled Elizabeth, drawing her pistol from her belt and swinging it at the man. The barrel connected with the side of his skull and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Jack was momentarily surprised by her strength, and it gave the second man time to advance towards him. Jack just managed to block the first blow, and dodged out of the way of the second. He smiled. The man may have been twice Jack's size, but he was swinging clumsily with the sword. After a couple more blocks, Jack swung at the man with his own sword and disarmed him, the weapon dropping to the floor with a clatter. He looked around to see not one, but three swords pointing at him, as Elizabeth and Thomas had drawn their own weapons too.

'Go,' ordered Jack. 'Unless you want the same fate as your friend.'

The man nodded and ran off down the alley.

'Will he be alright?' asked Elizabeth, prodding the unconscious man with her foot.

'He'll wake up in the morning,' said Jack, sheathing his sword. 'We'll be out of town by the time he comes around.' They left the alley and walked down the street. 'Do you two want to tell me what you were doing down an alley at night on your own?'

'We were with each other,' said Thomas. 'We thought we'd be alright. I'm sorry, sir.'

'It was my fault,' said Elizabeth. 'I'm sorry, captain. I asked Tom to come with me. I thought I heard something down there.'

Jack looked between them. 'Is this true Thomas?'

The young boy looked uncertainly at Elizabeth and she nodded at him.

'Yes captain,' he replied. 'I'm sorry, we should have been more responsible.'

'Run along back to the ship,' said Jack. 'We leave in the morning.'

The boy nodded and walked the last few metres to where the Pearl sat on the water.

'I'm sorry Jack,' Elizabeth repeated. 'Thank you for saving us. But if I hadn't been so stupid you wouldn't have had to do it anyway.'

'It's fine, love,' he relied with a smile. 'We all make mistakes. I know that as well as anyone else. Just learn from it okay?' She nodded. 'That was quite some blow you gave him with that pistol!'

'King,' she said smugly, in the same manner tat Jack often used the word 'pirate' to justify his actions. 'I do have that title for a reason.'

Jack shook his head and smiled as they boarded the ship.

* * *

><p>Jack was up before the sun rose the next morning, shepherding the last of the crew and the supplies onto the ship.<p>

'Jack, I was wondering where we're going next,' said Gibbs as they untied the ship from the dock and steered the ship towards the exit of the bay.

'Dunno,' shrugged Jack.

'Can I make a suggestion?'

'I'm all ears Mr Gibbs.'

'I was in the Faithful Bride last night, when I overheard a couple of men talking about a treasure on the Island of Grose, just south of the Caicos islands,' said explained Gibbs.

'And is this treasure particularly valuable or special in any way?' asked Jack curiously.

'As far as I could gather, no,' conceded Gibbs.

'Then why…'

'Because the men belonged to Barbossa's crew,' smiled Gibbs and Jack's face broke open into a huge grin.

'You should have said so earlier, Mr Gibbs,' said Jack. 'Make full straight there. If there's one thing I really love, it's pissing off our dear friend Captain Barbossa.'


	34. Treasure

**34. Treasure**

It took them two days to reach the Island of Grose, and fortunately it seemed they had beaten Barbossa there. It wasn't a particularly exciting island, just a few trees and a long expanse of sandy beach, with a small clear lake in the middle. Jack chose the group of men who would join him on the island in their search for the treasure.

In the end, there were five of them in the longboat going to the island. Jack, Marty and Elizabeth would search for the treasure using Jack's compass, while Thomas and a man known simply as Twitch, though Jack had no idea why, would stay in the longboat. Jack had left Gibbs in charge of the rest of the crew back on the Pearl.

Jack marched around the island with his compass, Marty and Elizabeth in tow, until he was confident he'd found the right place that the treasure was buried. Together, they dug through the soft sand until they found a small wooden chest.

Upon opening it, they found it was full of gold coins and a few jewels. There were two matching ruby rings, and Jack slipped them into his pocket while Elizabeth and Marty weren't looking. He decided to keep them for another purpose. The rest of the treasure was tipped into a small sack. There hadn't been anything special in there, but Jack's main reason for finding it was to annoy Barbossa.

Jack pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and put it into the empty chest.

'What's that?' asked Elizabeth, curiously.

'Read it,' he grinned.

She bent down and picked it up, unfolding it to find the note that Jack had scrawled on it before leaving the Pearl earlier.

'Hector,' read Elizabeth, a small smile playing across her lips. 'Regards to your crew. If they hadn't drunkenly boasted about their prospective voyage in search of the treasure that used to live in this chest, I would never have known about it and never have found it. I've left a small sum as a token of my appreciation for those crew members. Sorry for any inconveniences I might have caused by looting this treasure before you, but I think it's fair to say that the best man won. Yours, Captain Jack Sparrow.' She looked up at Jack and frowned. 'Are you trying to wind him up as much as possible?'

'That was the general idea. Have your read the back?'

She turned over the paper. 'P.S. I've heard there's a nice little stash of treasure on the Isla de Muerta. If you're short of funds, can I suggest you try there?' She shook her head. 'Do you have a death wish Jack?'

He laughed.

'What do you mean by 'I've left a small sum as a token of my appreciation'?' she asked.

'Oh,' he said, fishing around in the sack of treasure and pulling a small gold coin out of it. He tossed it into the now empty chest and grinned slyly at Elizabeth. 'Put the letter in there and then bury it exactly where we found it.'

They reburied the chest and rowed back to the Pearl, locking away the treasure deep down in the ship, though Jack wasn't too bothered if any of the crew did decide to steal it. He'd had a lot of experience with gold and jewels throughout his life, and he knew that the only things of significant value in that chest were the two rings that sat in the pocket of his breeches. Not that he intended to sell them, for Jack had a much better idea for them.

He'd realized that things had changed between him and Elizabeth since Tortuga. He'd had a kind of insight during the journey to the island. Having saved Elizabeth from the thugs in the alley, he'd realized that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. He couldn't imagine a life without her. It had confused Jack, for he'd never felt this way about a woman before. It worried and scared him too.

But the real epiphany had come when he worked out that he'd gone a whole week without rum. No cravings, no desperate need to drink. He'd managed it without even a struggle. Ever since he'd first stolen a bottle of rum on his father's ship at the age of eight, he couldn't remember not wanting to drink more, and the only days he hadn't drunk rum since the age of sixteen were those when he'd been locked up in jail. But right now, while he wouldn't say no if someone offered him some rum, he didn't particularly want to drink any, and it was all because of Elizabeth.

Jack had concluded many times in the past that rum was the best thing in his life. So why now was he perfectly happy to live without it. Jack had come to one conclusion, a conclusion that scared him even more than jumping straight into the Kraken's mouth. He, Captain Jack Sparrow, captain of the Black Pearl and Pirate Lord of the Caribbean, had fallen hopelessly in love.

_Ah, it's getting exciting now! :) I can promise that the next few chapters are my absolute favourites so far, so keep those reviews coming in and I'll try and put them up quickly. Once again, thank you to every single one of you who has reviewed in the past, I appreciate it a lot. If you haven't reviewed before, please let me know what you think. Anonymous reviews are enabled, so you don't have to tell me who you are. :)_


	35. Proposal

_This was one of the first chapters I wrote. You have no idea how exciting it is to finally post it! :D_

* * *

><p><strong>35. Proposal<strong>

All Jack needed to do now was to prove it to Lizzie.

Jack left his cabin and walked out onto the moonlit deck. Apart from three other people, it was empty. Cotton was at the helm and one other man was in sight, but he had dozed off against the mast, while on watch. The third person on deck was Elizabeth, leaning on the rail looking up at the stars. Jack walked over to her and leaned on the rail next to her.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' he said.

'Yes,' she said.

'Much like my company right now,' added Jack.

Elizabeth turned to face him and narrowed her eyes.

'What do you want from me?' she asked. 'And if it's what the answer to that question normally is, then it's still a no.'

'I was only saying how beautiful yer looking!' protested Jack. 'I don't want anything off yer, though if yer offering, I wouldn't say no!'

Elizabeth shook her head and turned back to looking out to sea.

'You're such a pigheaded bastard sometimes Jack,' she said.

'And you're just maddeningly stubborn,' replied Jack. 'Though I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of your most attractive qualities.'

'If you're trying to persuade me to join you in bed, then your efforts really aren't working,' she scoffed. 'Telling me I'm attractive when I'm stubborn.'

'You are!' said Jack. 'If I was trying to seduce you into bed I'd use one of my many other charming ways. I'm just telling ye that when yer angry, ye get all feisty and determined. It's a remarkable difference from the weak little governor's daughter who needed rescuing every other week that you used to be.'

Elizabeth turned to Jack, her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to protest, but Jack cut in first.

'Yer doing it now, love,' he said with a smile. 'It makes it worth winding you up, just to see ye like this.'

'Jack Sparrow!' she said angrily.

'Ye shouldn't let me get to you so easily if ye don't like me offering to share me bed with ye,' said Jack. 'The angrier you get, the more ye do to me.'

Elizabeth slapped Jack's chest angrily, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him.

'Jack Sparrow! Let go of…'

Jack interrupted her by kissing her. She made a tiny little gasp of surprise against his mouth. He licked and nibbled her bottom lip, and then she opened her mouth to allow him in. Their tongues met and sparks flew, making Jack's whole body tingle. He placed his hands on her delicate waist to pull her closer to him, pushing her against the railing with his body at the same time.

'If you're going to chain me to the ship again, then…'

'Shush, love.'

He pressed his mouth back to hers. Their tongues swirled together as they explored each other's mouth. Elizabeth put one hand into Jack's hair, playing with the dreadlocks. Jack moved his lips to kiss her cheek, then her neck. He planted little kisses all the way along her jawline, reaching the sensitive spot just below her ear, then he kissed it and sucked it, enjoying the tiny little groan that escaped her lips. He nibbled gently on her earlobe.

'Marry me, Lizzie,' he whispered into her ear.

She pushed him away, a look of confusement on her face. 'Pardon?'

'Marry me,' he repeated, looking into her beautiful eyes.

'Don't you ever give up?' she asked, rolling her eyes. 'I've said no before. What makes this time any different?'

'Because this time, I actually mean it,' said Jack.

He fiddled in his pocket and pulled out a gold ring with a sparkling ruby on the top, one of the two from the treasure chest, then knelt on his left knee. He looked up at her.

'Elizabeth, will you marry me?'

She looked down at him, a curious expression on her face, as if working something out.

'You actually do mean it, don't you?'

'Yes love,' he said. 'I never thought I'd say this to a woman, but…'

He paused and Elizabeth waited. He took a deep breath.

'You mean a hell of a lot to me,' he said, avoiding her gaze as he was nervous and embarrassed at his admission. 'You're the most important thing in me life. If the Pearl sunk…' He gulped, hating to think of that possibility. 'If the Pearl sunk, I'd get over it. Eventually. She's just a ship. But if I lost you, it'd be the end of everything. Ever since that night in the crow's nest, I haven't drunk a drop of rum, and I'd give up rum for the rest of me life if it meant I could spend that time with you instead.'

'You would?' she asked.

Jack ran off back to his cabin, ignoring Elizabeth calling after him. He opened his rum cupboard and grabbed all six bottles that were in there before running back out onto the deck, almost knocking Gibbs over in the process.

'Are we having a drink, cap'n?' he asked excitedly, following Jack.

Jack ignored him and went back over to Elizabeth.

'Lizzie,' he said, staggering as he struggled to hold five bottles in one arm and took the sixth in the other hand, uncorking it. 'This is how much you mean to me.'

He emptied the rum over the side of the ship before throwing the bottle out to sea.

'Jack! The rum!' exclaimed Gibbs, looking between Jack and the bottle which was slowly floating away from the ship with a look of horror on his face.

'What about it?' asked Jack, uncorking a second bottle and giving it the same treatment as the first.

Gibbs flinched at the sight of more rum going to waste. Jack was about to pour the third bottle away when Elizabeth put a hand on his arm.

'I don't think you should do that,' she said.

'Why not?' asked Jack, pouring it away, ignoring Gibbs who groaned.

'We might need it,' said Elizabeth. 'To celebrate.'

'Celebrate what?'

'Our engagement,' said Elizabeth, smiling at Jack.

'You're saying yes?' asked Jack excitedly.

Elizabeth nodded.

Jack quickly thrust the remaining three bottles into Gibbs's arms and turned back to Elizabeth, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her mouth against his. Their tongues met once more, and it was no less exciting than before, the contact between them fiery and intense.

'Er, captain?'

Jack pulled away from Elizabeth impatiently, her arms still draped around his neck.

'What?' he asked angrily. 'Is the ship sinking? No. So bugger off.'

'But…'

'Isn't it your duty at the helm?'

'Yes cap'n,' said Gibbs. 'That's why I came out here. But what do ye want me to do with these?'

He nodded to the bottles in his arms.

'Oh yes,' said Jack. 'Put them back in me cabin. Then ye can relieve Cotton from the helm.'

'Aye sir,' he replied, turning away.

'And Mr Gibbs?' Jack called after him.

'Aye?'

'Make sure the whole crew is up nice and early tomorrow,' he said.

'Fer what?'

'I'm getting married,' Jack said, smiling and kissing Elizabeth's forehead. Gibbs looked between them, raised his eyebrows and smiled.

'Of course captain,' he said, walking away.

'Tomorrow?' asked Elizabeth. 'We're getting married tomorrow?'

'Why not?' shrugged Jack.

'It's a bit soon isn't it?' she replied.

'Is there someone you want to invite, or something?' asked Jack.

'Like who?' laughed Elizabeth, absentmindedly running a hand across his cheek.

'I don't know. Friends, family?'

'If you want to sail all the way to England to meet my Great Aunt Phyllis, you're welcome to,' joked Elizabeth. 'But I have to warn you, she's almost deaf, a frightful bore and smells fusty.'

'I'll pass on that one,' said Jack, smirking at her.

'And what friends do I have other than those on this ship?'

'I could always kill one of the crew to bring your darling William here,' suggested Jack.

Elizabeth turned her nose up.

'I'm not sure he'd want to watch me marry you,' she said. 'And he's not 'my darling'. You are now.'

'Your darling Jack,' he said, smiling. 'I like it.'

They sat in each other's arms leaning against the mast until the early hours of the morning. They just talked and discussed what would happen the following day. They decided to go to sleep for they were both tired, and it was agreed that Elizabeth would take Jack's cabin for the night so that she could have some privacy as she got ready in the morning. Jack would spend the night sleeping in her hammock in her small private area below deck.

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><p><em>More exciting chapters to come! Please review and I promise to update soon! :)<em>

_Thank you to my regular reviewers: Evangeline Crystal, Shealey the Just, darkmm13, pencil37, annependragon, PiratequeenOftheNorthernSea (sorry if I've missed anyone!)_

_and to every single person who has reviewed/favourited/alerted this story!_


	36. Clean

**36. Clean**

Jack woke early the next morning. He had not slept in a hammock for a long time, what with his captain's privilege of having a bed, and as a result, he'd not had a good night's sleep. Not to mention the fact that he'd never been more nervous or terrified in his life. What if she was only teasing him? What if she didn't want to marry him and had only accepted him as a joke? She'd killed him before, so he could certainly accept deceit and treachery from her.

He came to his senses as he walked out onto the deck. He was going to marry her, wasn't he? And the marriage would only work if they could trust each other. Jack would just have to trust that she really did mean it when she said yes.

'Captain,' said Gibbs, greeting Jack as he walked out onto the deck too.

'It's Jack today,' he replied.

'Jack,' he said and Jack smiled.

'Mr Gibbs, I…'

'It's Joshamee today,' said Gibbs with a grin.

'Alright, Joshamee it is,' conceded Jack. 'I was wondering if ye'd do me the honour of being me best man.'

'Jack, I'd love to,' said Gibbs, clapping Jack on the back.

'Good,' said Jack, fishing around in his pocket and pulling out the ring he'd shown to Elizabeth the night before, as well as a slightly larger matching one. 'Do not lose these, whatever ye do. I'd rather ye lost me hat. They're worth an awful lot.'

'Yes Jack,' said Gibbs, taking the rings and placing them in the pocket of his breeches.

'Right, I'm going to go and see Lizzie,' said Jack, strolling towards the cabin.

'No, no, no!' protested Gibbs, grabbing Jack's arm and pulling him back. Jack gave him a quizzical look. 'It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding!'

'You and yer superstitions,' said Jack rolling his eyes. 'If it really bother ye that much, then you can go and see her.'

'Me?' gulped Gibbs.

'Yes, you!' replied Jack. 'Check she's okay, make sure she's ready, ye know.'

'Okay,' said Gibbs.

'Oh, and if ye look in me wardrobe, there's a large white box in the bottom next to me spare boots. Give it to Lizzie. Tell her it's a present from me and she's to open it right now.'

'Right,' said Gibbs, knocking on the cabin door and entering.

Some of the men were beginning to wake up.

'Hey captain!'

Jack turned and saw Pintel and Ragetti emerging from below deck.

'Alright gents,' said Jack cheerfully, though Jack thought to himself that Cotton's parrot was more of a gentleman than either of these two pirates.

'We 'eard you and our poppet were getting 'itched today,' said Pintel.

'No,' said Jack, and the two men looked confused. 'Firstly, Lizzie is a person not a possession, thought might I add that considering it is me she is marrying, she is my poppet, if anyone's. And secondly, 'getting hitched'? This is my wedding, and I'll have it done properly, with none of this slang. We are _getting married_. Savvy?'

'So ye are getting married?'

'Aye.'

'Ah,' said Ragetti softly. 'Our poppet … I mean, the captain's poppet growing up and getting married.'

'She was married before,' said Pintel. 'Turner, remember.'

'But he's dead … sort of,' said Ragetti. 'Anyway, it don't matter who she marries, she'll always 'ave a special place in me 'eart. I'll always remember the day she emptied the embers of a bedpan in me face with fondness.'

'If we're done with the sentimental reminiscences, would you two mind buggering off and waking the rest of the crew up?' asked Jack. 'Tell them there's a party afterwards, and anyone who misses the ceremony, misses the party. And the rum!'

'Aye captain,' said the two men, walking away excitedly.

Jack heard a squeal from the cabin and the door was flung open. Elizabeth came running out, a huge grin on her face, ignoring Gibbs's call of, 'No, no! Miss Elizabeth! It's bad luck!' She threw herself at Jack and kissed him, causing a few catcalls and whistles from the men on the deck, then looked at him with her arms still around his neck.

'It's beautiful Jack!' she said. 'I love it! Did you get it especially for today? For me?'

'No, I like to wear it in me spare time!' teased Jack. 'Of course the dress is for you! Who else would I have bloody got it for? I know Pintel and Ragetti have been known to enjoy wearing a dress, but I wouldn't trust them with one that beautiful and expensive.'

'But surely when you bought it you didn't know we were going to get married,' said Elizabeth.

'I bought it when we visited Tortuga last week. I didn't want to give up hope. If ye'd said no a couple more times, I probably would just have sold it or thrown it away. I'd probably have marooned ye on an island too!'

'Oh Jack!' she said, and she kissed him once more. 'The dress is lovely.'

'I even checked that ye don't have to wear a corset,' said Jack. 'As attractive as ye are in wet underwear, I'm not really in the mood to rescue ye if ye faint into the sea.'

'What are you in the mood for doing today, Captain Sparrow?' she smiled, teasing him.

'Marrying you,' he whispered into her ear. 'Now why don't ye go and get ready because the sooner I marry ye, the sooner I can ravish ye.'

After one final quick kiss, she ran off to the cabin. Jack smiled. He loved seeing her so happy, and it felt even better to know that it was him that was making her like that. Gibbs emerged from the cabin a moment later.

'She just getting changed,' he said. 'Um, Jack? She asked me if I'd give her away.'

'Go on then!'

'But I've already agreed to be your best man!'

'Do both then. Give her away and then be my best man. Besides me, I'd say ye were the only other vaguely responsible pirate on this ship. It's no wonder we both want ye as a part of this wedding.'

'Aye, captain! I'd best go and see if Miss Elizabeth needs any help getting into her dress.'

'I don't suppose ye know how to wash a shirt do ye?'

'Wash a shirt? Whatever would ye want to do that for?'

'It's me wedding. I want to be presentable for me bride.'

'Well first ye need some soap.'

'Mr Gibbs, do I smell like the kind of man who has his own soap?' asked Jack, rolling his eyes at his first mate.

'No cap'n, but neither do the rest of the men on this ship,' replied Gibbs. 'Where are we supposed to find soap on this ship?'

'Not the men, but Lizzie's a woman. She knows the meaning of the word 'hygiene' better than anyone on this ship. She probably has some soap somewhere.'

Jack walked over to the cabin and knocked.

'Lizzie?' he called through the door. 'Do ye have any soap?'

'Soap?'

'Yes, to wash meself with.'

Jack heard her snort and howl with laughter.

'What?' he bellowed angrily.

'You,' she laughed, gasping for breath. 'Soap! Jack Sparrow … and soap!'

'What?' he repeated.

'You're asking me … for soap!' she burst into fresh fits of laughter. 'Is this the same Jack Sparrow who when I threw a bucket of filthy water over him, told me it counted as his yearly bath?'

'I'm serious Lizzie!'

'You are?' she asked, finally overcoming her giggles. 'There's a box of my things on the floor below my hammock. There's some in there.'

'Thanks love!'

He walked away as he heard her erupt into more laughter. Gibbs knocked on the cabin door and asked her if she needed any help getting ready just as Jack went below deck to look for Elizabeth's soap. He found the box that she'd mentioned and rifled through it. Among it were various other things, for example, her sword, and pistol and, to Jack's annoyance, the chest containing Will's heart. He hadn't realized it was on board his ship, though it seemed to be the explanation of its whereabouts that made sense, considering Will and Elizabeth had been married. It made Jack wonder if he was doing the right thing. Was it really wise to marry the wife of the most powerful man on the seas? But then he caught a bit of Elizabeth's scent lingering in her sleeping area and realized that he couldn't pull out now. She meant too much to him. And it had taken him several attempts and a lot of effort to get her to finally agree to marry him anyway.

He found the soap in a little cloth bag at the bottom, which also contained a couple of fairly clean rags that Jack assumed she must also use to wash with. He left Elizabeth's area and found a small barrel which he filled with water from the drinking supply. He then removed all but his breeches and sat down with the bar of soap in front of the barrel. He began by working the soap into a lather and washing himself. He rubbed it into his face chest and armpits, washing off the bubbles with the damp rags.

When he decided that he felt cleaner and smelt nicer than ever before in his life, he stopped scrubbing himself and put his shirt in the barrel. He let it soak for a few minutes and then scrubbed that with the soap too. While the shirt still had a vaguely yellow tinge at the end, it smelt fresh and some of the stains had come out. He went back onto the deck and hung his shirt over the railing to dry. It was a sunny day and he knew it wouldn't take long. He left his coat, waistcoat and effects there too, and set about ordering the crew about, making sure that everything was ready for his big day.

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><p><em>So I'll leave you there with a very enjoyable image of Jack walking around the deck of the Pearl without a top on! ;) <em>

_Please leave me a review! Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter! There's a nice long chapter coming up as a reward! :D_


	37. Wedding

_Thanks for the reviews! :)_

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><p><strong>37. Wedding<strong>

Once Jack's shirt had dried, he put it back on followed by the rest of his clothing. He felt unusually exposed without the layers of dirt, as if it was as much a part of who he was as his left leg was, but he would almost go as far to say that he liked feeling clean. Or at least, he liked the feeling of having made himself clean especially for Lizzie.

Gibbs emerged from the cabin shortly after Jack had reclothed himself and announced that Elizabeth was ready if he was.

'All hands on deck, ye useless scallywags!' bellowed Jack. 'I'm getting married and none of ye are going to miss it!'

Men scrambled up from where they'd been sitting lazily, or ran up from below deck hurriedly. Soon the entire crew was assembled by the mast. The ship had dropped anchor and the helm was tied down so that it wouldn't move. Jack went and stood by the helm, looking down over the rest of the crew. Gibbs looked up at him expectantly.

'Aye Mr Gibbs, we're ready.'

Gibbs disappeared. As Jack was standing above the cabin, he couldn't see Elizabeth emerge, but many of the crew looked towards the cabin door in wonder and he hoped she looked beautiful.

She did. As Gibbs led her up the stairs to the helm, a tear in his eye, Jack had the opportunity to admire the dress and the woman wearing it. It suited her perfectly. The pale gold material complemented her skin beautifully. She'd brushed her hair and instead of the matted knot it normally was, it was up in a bun, a few shiny curls hanging loose. She had a radiant smile upon her face as she looked up at him and he beamed back at her.

'You look gorgeous, love,' he whispered as she stood next to him.

'Thank you Jack,' she replied. 'You smell … clean! I like it!'

Gibbs came and stood behind Jack.

'I haven't lost them Jack!' he said, showing Jack that he still had the rings.

'Good!' Jack whispered back, before turning to the crew in front of him. 'Alright, ye scurvy bilge-rats! Yer all gathered here today to witness the wedding of me, Captain Jack Sparrow, to her majesty King Elizabeth…' Jack paused, unsure which surname she wanted him to use.

'Swann,' whispered Elizabeth.

'…to her majesty King Elizabeth Swann,' finished Jack. 'Who, might I add, looks very beautiful this morning.'

'Aye!' said Pintel from the deck below, and a couple of other pirates nodded their agreements.

'Right, does anyone know why we can't be married? No, good,' Jack said hurriedly.

'Actually sir,' said one pirate, raising his arm timidly. 'Ain't she already married to Turner?'

'Turner was stabbed, ye pillock,' said Ragetti, nudging the pirate. 'He's sorta dead now, aint' he?'

'Exactly,' said Jack, regretting asking the question. He was sure nobody would have noticed if he'd just missed it out of the ceremony completely. 'Right on with the ceremony. Captain Jack Sparrow, do ye take Elizabeth Swann as yer wife? Will ye love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as ye both shall live?'

Jack paused for a moment solemnly, as if considering these words, and then answered himself, 'I do.'

He turned to Elizabeth.

'Elizabeth Swann, do ye take Captain Jack Sparrow as yer husband? Will ye love, honour, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as ye both shall live?'

'I do,' she replied, smiling at him.

'Fantastic,' said Jack, clapping his hands together. 'Right, I think this is the bit where we're supposed to have a hymn, but I'm not really one for singing so…'

'How about that one that ye taught us after we got the Pearl back?' suggested Marty.

'Yeah, I liked that song,' said Ragetti.

'What, _A Pirate's Life For Me_?' asked Jack. 'That's not a hymn!'

'But it's entirely appropriate,' said Elizabeth, from Jack's side. 'Considering this is our wedding and I was the one who taught it to you in the first place.'

Jack smiled at the memory of a drunken Elizabeth singing and dancing around the fire on the island that Barbossa had marooned them on. 'Fine,' he sighed, and the crew started up a loud chorus. Once they reached the end of the song, Jack turned to Gibbs.

'The rings, please Mr Gibbs.'

Gibbs took them out of his pocket, looking very proud of himself that he'd managed not to lose them in the short space of time since Jack had originally placed them in his trust.

'Well done Mr Gibbs,' muttered Jack with a smirk. 'Extra rum for ye.' Gibbs beamed at him and Jack turned back to Elizabeth.

'I, Captain Jack Sparrow, take thee, Elizabeth Swann, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, though hopefully we'll be stinkin' rich the whole bloody time, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, 'til death do us part and Will Turner takes us to the next world.'

He took Elizabeth's dainty hand in his own and slipped the smaller of the two rings onto her finger. He gave her the larger ring and said, 'Your turn.'

'I, Elizabeth Swann, take thee, Jack Sparrow…'

'Captain,' whispered Jack.

'Pardon?'

'_Captain_ Jack Sparrow,' he told her and she rolled her eyes at him.

'… take thee, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, 'til death do us part.'

She slid the ring onto Jack's finger and they held hands as they looked at each other.

'I now pronounce us husband and wife. And I may kiss the bride.'

So that's exactly what he did. The crew whistled and cheered, and Jack was vaguely aware of a couple of pistols being fired in celebration, but the most important thing on his mind at the moment was that he'd finally done it. He'd just married Lizzie, and she was kissing him. His wife was kissing him! They broke apart, identical smiles on their faces.

'Pass the rum around!' shouted Jack cheerfully, his arm around Elizabeth's slender waist.

'I love you Jack,' she whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

'Lizzie, I love ye too,' he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers and gazing into her beautiful eyes. Their lips met briefly once more. 'Now I don't know about you, but my wedding will not be complete without some rum. Savvy?'

'I thought you'd given it up,' she smirked.

'Well, if you don't want me to drink any, dearest wife...'

'Oh, go on then,' she smiled.

Jack led Elizabeth down onto the main deck, where many of the pirates were already beginning the celebrations.

'Oi!' yelled Jack over the din and the deck fell silent. 'I don't have anything against anyone having a good time today. It isn't often I say this, but yer welcome to drink all the rum ye want…' There was a loud cheer from the crew. '…providing ye all get back to work with no complaints tomorrow. Mr Gibbs, I want ye to make sure there are two men on watch at all times, preferably sober ones. We sail to Tortuga in the morning…' More loud cheering. '…but for now, let's have a good time!'

Some tables had been brought up from below deck, as well as some barrels and crates to sit on and lots of rum. Jack sat down on a crate next to Cotton and Thomas, and pulled Elizabeth down onto his lap. A few of the men had brought instruments up and were playing a jolly tune, to which a couple of the other men were dancing to.

'Cap'n Sparrow?'

Jack looked up to find Pintel and Ragetti standing above them.

'Aye?'

'We jus' wanted to say congratulations to you an' Mrs Sparrow,' said Ragetti, and Elizabeth smiled at the sound of her new name.

'We brought ye a weddin' present an' all,' added Pintel, producing a bottle of rum from behind his back. Jack noticed that they had tied a piece of faded ribbon that might have been blue once in an untidy bow around the neck of the bottle and smiled.

'Did this bottle come out of the ship's supply?' asked Jack.

'Well…' said Pintel slowly.

'So yer giving me a bottle of me own rum as a present?'

Pintel looked sheepish, but Ragetti seemed to have come up with an answer.

'See cap'n, I figured seein' as you drink most o' the rum, it's more than likely ye'd end up drinkin' this bottle anyway, so I thought to meself, let's make everyone feel warm an' fuzzy by makin' it a gift.'

'Warm an' fuzzy?' questioned Pintel, asking what Jack had been wondering himself.

'Yeah,' replied Ragetti. 'Ol' Jack here feels warm an' fuzzy 'cause he's jus' been given a present an' he knows he's appreciated, and we feel warm an' fuzzy 'cause we've just given a gift an' that's what giving's meant to do to ye.'

'Really?' asked Pintel. 'Cause I don't feel no warm fuzziness.'

'Well yer meant to! I read it in the Bible.'

'Ye can't read.'

'I don't need to read. I know the teachings of God off by 'eart 'cause I'm a proper Christian.'

'Thank ye lads,' said Jack, interrupting one of the infamously pointless debates between these two men.

They smiled and walked away, still arguing.

'Now Mrs Sparrow,' said Jack, nuzzling his face into Elizabeth's neck. 'Would ye like a drop of rum?'

'Aye, captain,' she grinned, taking the bottle off him, uncorking it and drinking from it, then holding it out to Jack.

'Thank you Lizzie,' he said, taking a swig, liking how he could taste where he mouth had been on the rim of the bottle.

'It's Mrs Sparrow to you,' she teased.

'C'mon love,' moaned Jack. 'Surely we can use first names now that we're so intimately acquainted?'

'Not as intimately as I'd like us to be,' she giggled, leaning towards his face and kissing him, tangling her tongue with his, shocking Jack with her boldness, not that he was complaining at all.

'Abandon ship! Abandon ship!' screeched the parrot from Cotton's shoulder, flying up to sit on the mast. When Jack looked at Cotton for an explanation, the mute just shrugged.

'Cotton's right,' said Gibbs, walking over to Jack and Elizabeth who had resumed kissing. 'Ye should save that fer in yer cabin.'

Elizabeth stood up and took Jack's hand in hers, dragging him to his feet.

'What's up with you?' Jack asked her.

'Mr Gibbs is right,' she said. 'Let's go to the cabin. Why would I want to spend my wedding day drinking with forty stinking scumbags who are probably better at spelling their own names after two bottles of rum than when they're sober, when I have a devilishly attractive, handsome…'

'Clean,' interjected Jack.

'…yes, clean, pirate captain as a husband who I'm sure has plenty of much more enjoyable activities than drinking rum lined up for me in his cabin.'

'Aye, love,' said Jack. 'But how about a dance first?'

'A dance?'

'Yep.'

'I can't dance,' she protested.

'I don't care,' he said, pulling her towards the musicians.

'Can I rephrase that? I _won't_ dance.'

'Then I _won't_ give ye a wedding night.'

'Oh, I highly doubt that Jack!' she scoffed.

'Please? For me?' he pouted, widening his eyes.

'Fine,' she sighed impatiently. 'But I am warning you, I really can't dance.'

'It's a good job one of us can,' he grinned, pulling her close to him and moving in time with the music. They moved graciously across the deck, Jack occasionally spinning Elizabeth around, but most of the time, their bodies were pressed into each other. Jack was vaguely aware of the rest of the crew watching them, but that didn't matter to him. He concentrated completely on Elizabeth, staring into her eyes as their faces almost met, his hands on her waist, leading her to follow his every move.

The song finished and there was a round of applause from the crew.

'Wow, Jack,' she breathed. 'That was incredible.'

'I know, love,' he replied. 'Even if you are a rubbish dancer.'

'Jack!'

'You said so yerself!'

'But you're meant to stand up for me and tell me I'm great,' she argued.

'You are great, darling. Just not at dancing, savvy?'

'Well how about we go into the cabin and I'll show you something I am great at,' she suggested with a seductive grin.

'You sound very sure of yourself,' he said. 'But let me just remind you which one of the two of us is famous throughout the Caribbean for their skills in bed. I think by the end of tonight, it will be you telling me how great I am.'

'Show me then, captain,' she said, her eyes alight with excitement. Jack held his breath as she bit her bottom lip, making her look irresistibly attractive.

'Come on, my love,' he said, lifting her into his arms. 'Gentlemen! I will have no disturbances. Anyone who disturbs me will get shot, savvy? Gibbs, you have your instructions.'

And he carried Elizabeth through the door of the cabin, throwing her down on the bed and climbing on top of her, both determined to prove to the other that they were more talented than the other at the activities that followed.

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><p><em>Just to let you know I'm not going to be going into graphic detail about every second of the wedding night. I think we all know what's going to happen in that cabin and you don't need me to tell you! :P If that's what you're here to read, then there's plenty of other stories out there that do that. But I think I'd ruin the story if I tried to write it, so I'm leaving it to your imagination!<em>


	38. Bed

**38. Bed**

'Jack?' said Elizabeth.

'Mmm?' replied Jack, sleepily.

'You know how I'm the Pirate King?'

'Uh huh.'

'And you know how the person who normally marries the King is the Queen?'

Jack opened one eye lazily and looked across at her, realizing where she was going with this. She had a mischievous grin on her face. 'No, Lizzie. Absolutely not!'

'But why not Jack?' she whined. 'Queen Jack Sparrow has a wonderful ring to it!'

'No.'

'Please, Jack?'

'I'm a man, love! I can't be a bloody queen!'

'But I'm a woman and I'm the King,' she argued.

'Because there is no such thing as the Pirate Queen!' said Jack. 'Which means neither you nor I can be it.'

'Please, Queen Jack?' she begged.

'Next time we're in Shipwreck Cove I'm calling for a re-election,' said Jack.

'But you'd vote for me again,' she smiled. 'Because you love me.'

'Ah, but you'd vote for me,' replied Jack. 'We'd cancel each other out and there would be no King, hence solving the problem as to which one of us is the Queen, savvy?'

'No I wouldn't,' said Elizabeth. 'I'd vote for Barbossa.'

Jack groaned.

'I've always been attracted to that scraggly beard of his,' she teased.

'Perhaps I should grow mine like that, if that's what turns ye on,' said Jack thoughtfully, stroking the two braids on his chin.

'Barbossa turns me on, Jack,' she giggled and Jack mimed being sick.

'If you dare vote for Barbossa, I'd shoot ye meself,' said Jack.

'That's no way to speak to your wife, Queen Sparrow,' she mocked.

'Yer me bloody wife and I can speak to ye how I damn well like,' Jack growled, rolling her onto her back and sitting across her legs, pinning her to the bed and causing her to giggle and yelp. And soon, all thoughts that they'd had of the attractiveness of Barbossa's beard and whether or not Jack was the Pirate Queen were forgotten, as they made love to each other once more.

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><p>Jack woke, tangled in the bed sheets and Elizabeth, their legs intertwined and her head against his chest. She was still asleep, but her breathing was tickling his chest. He ran a hand through her messy hair absentmindedly as he looked down at her beautiful body.<p>

'Morning Jack,' she murmured sleepily.

'Sorry love,' he said. 'Did I wake you?'

'No,' she said. 'I was already awake.'

'Do you want some breakfast?' he asked.

'Mmmm,' she said in agreement. He slipped out of bed, much to Elizabeth's protests of him leaving her making her feel cold, and pulled some breeches on. He walked out of the cabin and down to the galley of the ship, where many of the men were breakfasting. He put some bread, fruit and a mug of rum on a tray and carried it back up to the cabin, where Elizabeth was sat up in bed waiting for him. He put the tray down on the bed between them and they ate, feeding each other bits of fruit and bread, laughing as they dropped bits, and ending in a tickling fight where the tray got knocked off the bed, though thankfully all of the food and rum was gone.

When neither of them could breathe because they'd been laughing so much, they snuggled up in the bed and just enjoyed each other's presence.

'I love you Elizabeth Sparrow,' he whispered.

'I love you too,' she replied, running a hand absentmindedly over the scars on his chest. 'You have no idea how long I've waited for today.'

'Then why didn't you say yes the other times I proposed?'

'Because I was scared that you didn't mean it,' she said. 'I didn't want to just be another of Jack Sparrow's conquests.'

'You've always been more than just a conquest to me,' he told her, kissing the top of her head. 'And it's _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. You should know that by now, love.'

'Surely I don't need to bother with your title now that I'm your wife,' she laughed. 'And in marrying me, you promised to share all of your worldly goods with me, which should include the Pearl and your captaincy.'

'Are you suggesting that the Pearl is now half yours?' Jack asked incredulously.

'No, dearest husband,' she teased. 'I am suggesting that the Pearl is still your ship, but that we become joint captains. You'd obviously have slightly more say than me in the running of the ship as she is your ship and you have the experience.'

'Does that mean we're also sharing your role of King?' he asked grinning.

'Absolutely not!' she said. 'I thought we'd already agreed you were Queen.'

'How about we come to a compromise? I am Captain of this ship, but as a Pirate Lord, you are technically Captain Elizabeth Sparrow anyway. And on this ship you can be third-in-command, after me and Gibbs. Savvy?'

'I suppose so,' she sighed.

'I want ye to promise me something,' said Jack, squeezing her tight into his chest. 'Anything I ask you to do, you do it. If we come under attack, and I ask you to stay in the cabin, you stay in the cabin.

'I'm perfectly capable of using a sword, Jack,' she protested.

'I know, love,' he replied. 'But it'll make me happier if I know you're safe. I don't want to lose you. Promise me that ye'll keep out of the way if I tell ye to.'

'Jack, I'm the King.'

'And me wife, which makes it my duty to protect you,' said Jack. 'Promise?'

'Fine,' she sighed. 'I promise.'

'Good,' he growled, pinning her to the bed beneath his body. He kissed her neck and murmured against the warm flesh. 'I love you. I always have.'

'Always?' she asked.

'Well, most of the time,' he admitted.

'Even when I killed you?'

'Especially when you killed me,' said Jack, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. 'Well, I hated you for a bit in the Locker, but you made me realize there were more important things in life than just staying alive forever.'

'After we rescued you from the Locker, you had a nightmare,' said Elizabeth. 'You told me it was about Davy Jones, but it was about me, wasn't it?'

Jack shuddered, vividly remembering the nightmare. 'I dreamed that you came into my cabin and kissed me, and then you tied me to the bed naked,' he told her, blushing as she raised her eyebrows at him suggestively. 'No, love, it's not what you think. Then you turned into Davy Jones and tried to cut out my heart, and when I yelled no sound came out.'

'You know I told you that I had bad dreams back then too?' asked Elizabeth, looking up into Jack's eyes. 'They were about you.'

'I know I'm a dreadful fright,' joked Jack. 'I'm ugly enough to give anyone nightmares!'

'No you aren't,' said Elizabeth, slapping his chest. 'I think you're rather handsome actually. But anyway, I used to have nightmares where I lost you again. Every night I dreamed that you'd gone again, and I hated it and hated myself even more.'

'But I'm back now, aren't I?' grinned Jack. 'And I promise that I'm never going to leave you ever again. Lizzie and Jack, against the world. Forever.'

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! Now it's time for you to click that button and leave me a lovely review. Or a horrible one, but I prefer the nice ones.<em>

_I can honestly say I have no idea when this story will end. Well, I know when it's going to end, but I don't know how many chapters it'll take me to get there! But I think there's a considerable amount still left! :D It's turning out to be a lot longer than originally anticipated, but I'm happy with that because I love writing it!_


	39. Lucia

_Many thanks to my wonderful reviewers! :)_

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><p><strong>39. Lucia<strong>

When they arrived in Tortuga, Jack and Elizabeth stepped into the Faithful Bride, which was just as packed and noisy as normal. They pushed their way through the crowd to the bar, where Jack ordered two mugs of rum.

'There's someone I want to introduce you to,' Jack told her as they pushed towards a slightly less crowded corner of the tavern. He put the rum down on an empty table and looked towards a woman busy cleaning up the floor where someone had spilt something. She had blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and wore her apron over her dark green dress.

'Oi, Luce!' he bellowed over the din. The woman looked around and upon spotting him, her face broke into a grin. She rested her mop against the wall and rushed over to him, pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheek.

'Jack Sparrow, what the hell are you doing?'

Jack released the woman and turned to find Elizabeth glaring angrily at him, hands on her hips.

'Lizzie, darling,' said Jack, realizing he'd given her the wrong impression. 'This is Lucia. She's a very old friend of mine.'

'Knew Jackie as a child, I did,' said Lucia. 'He rescued me when I was six and persuaded his father to let me join the crew. We've been the best of friends ever since.'

'Jack never mentioned you,' said Elizabeth, bitterly.

'He's never mentioned you to me either,' said Lucia, sensing Elizabeth's dislike for her.

'Ladies, please can we not argue,' sighed Jack. 'All I want is a quiet drink with two of me favourite women. Lizzie, I promise Lucia is just me friend. We may have had something in the past, but that's all behind us now. Lucia, Lizzie is me wife.'

'Your wife Jackie?' asked Lucia incredulously. 'I never had you down as the marrying sort.'

'Nor did I until Lizzie came along,' admitted Jack.

'You must be pretty special for Jack to marry you,' Lucia said to Elizabeth. 'You must have had to do a lot of persuading.'

Elizabeth snorted and sprayed rum across the table as she laughed. 'Me? Persuade Jack? No, you have this all wrong. _He_ was the one persuading _me_. I only accepted his proposal the fourth time he offered to marry me.'

'Four times Jackie?' laughed Lucia.

'Was it really four?' asked Jack, feigning disbelief, though he knew exactly how many times it had been.

'The first time, it was because you wanted to sleep with me,' said Elizabeth, counting off on her fingers. 'The second time you were drunk. The third time you were drunk _and_ you wanted to sleep with me.'

Lucia laughed.

'And the fourth time I meant every word and I was neither drunk nor had any dishonourable intentions!' countered Jack.

'So, when was the wedding?' asked Lucia.

'Two days ago,' said Jack.

'You've been married for two days and you're already bickering?' laughed Lucia. 'Most married couples are still engrossed in each other after two days.'

'Oh, we are,' grinned Jack and Elizabeth slapped his leg.

'Jack and I have been bickering with each other since we met,' said Elizabeth. 'We're hardly going to stop now that we're married. There's just more things to bicker about now.'

'Most of the bickering was because of the whelp,' said Jack. 'He's not around anymore.'

'The what?' asked Lucia, puzzled.

'The whelp,' said Jack. 'Lizzie's first husband.'

'What happened to him?' asked Lucia.

'Oh, he died about half an hour after we got married,' said Elizabeth matter-of-factly. 'But it's okay, because he stabbed Davy Jones' heart and became captain of the Flying Dutchman, so he's still around, even if he's not really alive.'

Lucia laughed. 'Don't be ridiculous! Everyone knows that the new captain of the Flying Dutchman is Will Turner.'

'I know,' smiled Elizabeth.

'But everyone knows that Will Turner's wife was Elizabeth Turner, King of the Brethren Court!'

'Not everyone knows that Elizabeth Turner recently remarried and became Elizabeth Sparrow though,' said Jack, grinning.

Lucia's mouth fell open. 'You? Pirate King?' she asked, and Elizabeth nodded. 'Jackie, does your father know about this yet?'

'Bugger,' muttered Jack. 'No he doesn't.'

'Your father?' asked Elizabeth. 'I never knew you had any family left.'

'Uh, yeah,' said Jack, avoiding Elizabeth's eyes. He'd forgotten that he'd never told her who is father was.

'You should go to Shipwreck Cove and tell him Jackie,' advised Lucia. 'Word will get over there eventually.'

'Your father lives in Shipwreck Cove?' asked Elizabeth.

Jack nodded, still not looking directly at her.

'You must have met him,' said Lucia and Jack groaned. 'Captain Teague, keeper of the code?'

Elizabeth choked on her rum. 'Teague is your father?' she spluttered.

'Unfortunately,' said Jack grimly.

'Why is it unfortunate?'

'Jack never got on well with his father, even when we were younger,' said Lucia.

'Can we not talk about it please?' snapped Jack.

'Sorry,' said Elizabeth, taking Jack's hand under the table and squeezing it. 'So, Lucia. You knew Jack as a child then? Any embarrassing stories to tell me?'

Lucia grinned. 'If I told you half of what Jackie got up to in his childhood, he'd run me through with a sword! He was two years older than me and taught me everything he knew about pirating. Well, almost everything. He missed out a couple of tricks with a sword, just so that he could still beat me when we practiced fighting, but we had lots of adventures together.'

'Adventures!' snorted Jack. 'You mean like the time we sneaked down into the rum cupboard and stole two bottles of rum.'

'And old Higgins caught us sleeping like babies the next morning, the empty bottles in our hands,' laughed Lucia. 'Do you remember when you were fifteen and we went to that dodgy place round the back of Tortuga and you got your first tattoo done?

'You were fifteen?' asked Elizabeth, incredulously.

'He took me with him to hold his hand in case he cried, didn't you Jackie?'

'No,' said Jack defensively, pouting.

'And then when you were sixteen and we docked in Portugal and you wanted to sneak into…'

'Don't you dare tell her about that!' said Jack, loudly, a look of panic spreading across his face.

'Tell me about what?' asked Elizabeth.

'Come on Jackie,' pleaded Lucia, mischievous twinkle in her eye. 'I think it's only right she knows exactly what sort of man she's married.'

Jack took a large swig from his mug of rum and slammed it on the table.

'I'll take that as a yes,' said Lucia. 'When Jackie was sixteen, he decided it was time he got himself familiar with the ladies, so the next time we made port, he told me that he had a plan to sneak into a Portuguese brothel. Except his plan consisted of disguising himself as a whore to get himself inside. He needed my help to dress up.'

'He wore a dress?' giggled Elizabeth.

'Not just a dress, but a corset as well!'

'No!' gasped Elizabeth, smirking at Jack.

'Alright, Luce, that's enough of that story,' grumbled Jack.

'Jack, you said earlier that you two had something in the past,' said Elizabeth, smiling.

Lucia grinned. 'Well, his attempt to get into the brothel failed when his disguise turned out to be so good that a Portuguese man tried to buy his services! Jack still wanted to try out these things, so naturally, we decided to try them with each other. We were each other's first. Jack was sixteen and I was fourteen.'

'Fourteen?' gasped Elizabeth. 'That's a bit young isn't it?'

'Not really,' said Lucia.

'Lizzie,' sighed Jack. 'I know that you were brought up to believe that you should wait until your wedding night, but in most places, especially for pirates like us, it's not uncommon for the girls to be as young as twelve for their first time.'

'Twelve?' Elizabeth asked incredulously. 'But they're still children!'

'It's just the way things are,' shrugged Jack.

'So what happened between you two?' asked Elizabeth, and Jack gave her a suggestive smirk. 'No, Jack, I don't mean it like that. I mean, were you together for a while? Why did it end?'

'We slept together a few times,' explained Lucia. 'But after a couple of months, I made the mistake of telling Jack that I loved him. He told me that love was for pathetic wimps and the next time we made port, he left me there and let his father sail off without me. I was stranded on my own in a little town on the south coast of Cuba. I managed to get a ride to Tortuga, and I've lived here ever since. Of course, I slapped Jackie the first time he came here after I arrived, but we've been best friends again ever since.'

'Love is for pathetic wimps?' Lizzie smirked at Jack.

'Looks like I'm the most pathetic of them all then,' he told her with a laugh, kissing her quickly on the lips.

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed it!<em>

_I've noticed recently that the numbers of reviews has declined recently, but I'm still getting a lot of people alerting and favouriting. I don't like to moan very often, but if you like the story enough to favourite it, then you should like it enough to review it and tell me why you like it. Moaning over now, thanks to those of you who do review. You are the people who inspire me to keep writing!_


	40. Teague

_Wow, chapter 40. When I started writing this story, I expected it to be 40 chapters long. Now I've got here, it seems stupid to ever have believed it could have been that short!_

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><p><strong>40. Teague<strong>

After two days in Tortuga, staying in one of the rooms above the Faithful Bride and spending the days with Lucia, Jack decided that it was time for his crew to depart. He reluctantly agreed that their next visit should be his father, though this was mostly because Elizabeth begged him to introduce her to her new father-in-law, and so gave Gibbs the instructions to navigate them to Shipwreck Cove.

Upon arrival at the Cove, they left Gibbs in charge of the ship as just the two of them headed out to visit Teague. Jack was incredibly nervous, partly because he was worried about what Elizabeth and his father would think of each other, and partly because his father was the only person in the world he was mildly afraid of.

Jack tentatively pushed open the door to the rooms where Teague lived and looked around the dimly lit room. It appeared empty, with only a few candles lighting up the space.

'To what do I owe the pleasure, Jackie.'

The voice came from a shadowy corner and made Jack jump. When he looked more carefully, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he could see his father sitting in the armchair in the corner, smoking an old pipe, his guitar in one hand. Jack stepped slowly into the room and beckoned for Elizabeth to follow him.

'Your majesty,' said Teague, nodding his head as she entered the room and putting the guitar down on the table beside him. 'Well, boy? What is it you want?'

'You've met Lizzie before,' said Jack softly. 'But I wanted you to meet her properly. Lizzie, this is me dad.'

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' said Elizabeth with a courteous smile, bowing her head at him.

'Um, Dad?' said Jack, and Teague looked back at him sharply. 'Me and Lizzie, we got married last week.' Jack cowered under his father's strong gaze, the silence of the room enveloping them. He had yet to discover exactly how his father managed to be so intimidating every time they met. 'Did ye hear me? I said me and Lizzie…'

'Yes, I heard you the first time boy!' said Teague sharply. 'You've surprised me Jackie. I didn't think you'd ever marry. But I admire your choice of wife. You've picked a strong woman and I commend you for that. Not like those strumpets you usually spend your time with.'

Jack blushed, but he was glad that his father approved of Elizabeth.

'So, I expect you'll be bringing me grandchildren the next time you visit?'

'What?' exclaimed Jack. 'No! I mean, I don't know. We've only been married a week. We're happy with how things are!' Jack was rambling, but he didn't want to scare Lizzie off with the thought of children, nor did he want to make her think he didn't want any if she did.

'It's alright Jack,' she whispered, slipping her hand into his and squeezing it.

'So, does she want to meet your mum too?' Teague asked casually.

'No!' Jack's eyes widened.

'Why not?' asked Elizabeth. 'Please Jack, I want to get to know your family.'

'Lizzie, me mum's dead,' said Jack. 'Dad has kept part of her, for some reason, and unless you want to see yer breakfast again, I would suggest that ye don't see her.'

'Oh,' said Elizabeth. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's fine, love,' he replied, pulling her close to him. 'Right, I guess we'll be going. Bye.'

'Bye Jackie,' said Teague. 'Goodbye, your majesty.'

'Goodbye, Captain Teague,' she said, following Jack out of the room.

'How come you remember he's a captain, but always forget I am?' hissed Jack as they walked across the dock towards the Pearl.

'Because I love you and I have plenty of other ways to make you happy,' she said cheekily.

'Oh, you do, do you?'

'Mmhmm.' She pulled Jack towards her and kissed him, and he wrapped his arms around her, responding to her passionate kiss eagerly.

'Captain? Mrs Captain?' They broke apart at the sound of Ragetti's voice. He seemed to be worried, his voice laced with concern. 'Mr Gibbs says you needs to come right now. It's really important.'

Jack groaned, and they both walked up the gangplank to board the Pearl.

'Jack!' said Gibbs, beckoning for Jack to follow him below deck. He did and they hurriedly ran down all of the steps to the brig. 'It's Thomas, Jack. He's dead.'

And sure enough, at the other end of the brig, the boy's body lay in a pool of his own blood, a small knife sticking out of his chest.

Jack ran over to Thomas' body. He had only been a teenager, but in death he looked incredibly small and vulnerable, his face pale and his brown curls messy on the top of his head. His blue eyes stared up, glazed over, and Jack closed his eyelids gently. A purple bruise had blossomed around Thomas' left eye, as if he'd been punched there.

Elizabeth walked towards him, her eyes wide with shock. 'Who would do such a thing?' she asked, her voice cracking as she wiped a tear away. 'He was such a lovely boy. He didn't deserve something like this to happen. He had his whole life ahead of him.'

'Lizzie, darling,' said Jack, standing up and giving his wife a comforting hug. 'I think it's best if ye go up to the cabin. Get yerself something to eat from the galley on yer way up. I'll be up there too when we've sorted this out. I love you.' He kissed her forehead and she left, leaving Jack with Gibbs and Ragetti.

'We believe it was Jimmy who did it,' Gibbs informed him. 'According to the other men, he's been picking on Tom for a couple of weeks now, and threatened to kill him several times. That's his knife too.'

'Where is the bastard?' asked Jack angrily. 'I'm going to kill him.'

'A couple of the crew say they saw him take one of the longboats late last night,' said Gibbs. 'He's gone.'

'If I ever lay eyes on that piece of shit again, I won't be responsible for my actions,' Jack growled. 'Thomas was a very reliable member of me crew. He had more brains than most of the rest of them put together. Things won't be the same now he's gone.' He started to walk towards the stairs, but was stopped by Gibbs.

'What shall we do with the body?' he asked Jack.

'Cover it in an old sail,' instructed Jack. 'We'll find a nice spot somewhere to give him a decent burial. He deserves more than to be dumped in the sea. Once you've done that, I'd like to set sail before sunset. I'll be in me cabin with Lizzie if ye need anything.'

'Aye sir.'

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><p>Jack pushed open the door to the cabin and stepped inside. Elizabeth was curled on the bed, her chest heaving irregularly as she sobbed. Jack kicked off his boots and discarded his coat, hat and weapons on the chair before climbing onto the bed next to her and pulling her into his arms and running his hand through her soft hair over and over again.<p>

'It's okay, love,' he said. 'I'm here for you, and the bastard who … hurt Thomas fled the ship last night. You're safe with me.'

'Poor Tom,' she sobbed. 'Poor boy. I can't believe this happened.'

'Me neither, Lizzie,' said Jack. 'But we need to stay strong. And if you aren't ready to be strong, then I promise that I'll be strong for both of us.'

'I'll try,' she said, smiling at him weakly through her tears. 'Promise me you'll never go.'

'I promise,' said Jack. 'I'll always be beside you.'

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><p>Jack couldn't sleep that night. He and Lizzie had made love, but it was more out of a desperation to know that they were both still there for each other than an act of passion, and she now lay sleeping in his arms. There was too much going through his mind.<p>

Thomas' murder had shocked Jack. He'd always been proud of his crew because despite the petty fights that broke out, they usually had a good time and all got on well with each other. But the fact that one of his crew had murdered another, that he'd been heartless enough to take the life of an innocent child, left Jack wondering whether he could actually put his trust in each member of his crew.

The other thing bothering Jack was the remark his father had made about children. Ever since he'd seen the vision of the future, he'd anticipated that fatherhood would probably come at some point, but it seemed closer than ever now, and Jack wasn't sure he was ready. He felt like he was being forced into wanting children just because he'd seen that in the future, when he'd much rather take his time over the matter. The murder had also put worry into Jack's mind about this. What kind of place was his ship for children to grow up when things like this were happening on it. And it had been a teenager that had died. Children of a younger age would be even more vulnerable.

Over the past couple of months, Jack had felt that Thomas was the closest thing he had to a child of his own. The boy had looked up to him and respected him, and he'd had a few good laughs with him. Knowing that this feeling would be even stronger with a child of his own scared Jack. He just wasn't sure if he was ready yet.

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><p><em>Okay, I admit it. The only reason I ever brought Thomas into the story was so that he could die. I feel kind of sad now. I'd grown quite attached to him! <em>

_As always, reviews are wanted. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed in the past, and thanks in advance to those of you who review this chapter! :)_


	41. The Dutchman

_Words can't describe how much enjoyment I got out of writing this chapter! _

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><p><strong>41. The Dutchman<strong>

Jack awoke as two arms wrapped around him from behind and warm hands touched his chest.

'Morning love,' he murmured and Elizabeth kissed the back of his bare shoulder. Jack turned to face her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into his chest. 'You okay this morning?'

She nodded. 'Is that all I get?' she asked, her breath tickling him.

'Sorry, love,' he said, tilting her face towards his and giving her a longer kiss.

'That's better,' she said, nuzzling her face back against his chest. Jack assumed she was just resting there and closed his eyes, he gasped as he felt something warm and wet close around his nipple.

'My, you're keen this morning!' he said as she kissed across his chest.

'Well, if you don't want me…'

'No, love,' said Jack. 'I'm just not properly awake yet.'

'I can change that,' she said, pushing him onto his back and straddling his waist. She kissed him, her hands wandering over his body. He sucked on her bottom lip then plunged his tongue into her mouth. She nipped at it with her teeth and he squeezed her bottom with his hands encouragingly.

A knock on the cabin door interrupted them.

'Go away!' yelled Jack, as Elizabeth kissed his neck and shoulders.

'Captain it's me!' called Mr Gibbs through the wooden door.

'I'm busy!'

'This is really important, captain,' replied Gibbs.

'Ugh,' moaned Jack, pushing Elizabeth off him and climbing out of bed. He pulled his breeches on and Elizabeth wrapped the thin bed sheet around her naked body. 'Sorry, love.'

'It's okay,' she said. 'You're the captain, you have your duties.'

'I'm you're husband, I have duties to you as well,' he said.

'I think you more than fulfilled those duties last night,' she giggled.

Jack smirked and opened the cabin door. 'What?' he said grumpily.

Gibbs glanced at Elizabeth before turning back to Jack. 'We have a visitor,' he whispered so that only Jack could hear him.

'Who?'

'Ye know how Thomas was killed yesterday?'

'Aye?'

'The Dutchman's here to collect him,' said Gibbs softly, glancing back at Elizabeth.

'Turner's here?' whispered Jack. 'Bloody hell!'

'Perhaps we should keep Miss Elizabeth out of this,' suggested Gibbs.

'She'll go mad if she finds out he was here and we didn't tell her,' said Jack.

'Not as mad as Will'll go if he finds out ye've married her,' said Gibbs.

'I can't not tell her,' said Jack.

'Ye have to.'

'Surely one of the crew will tell her?'

'I'll tell them to keep quiet,' said Gibbs. 'Threatening them with a plank walking should do the trick.'

'Right,' said Jack uncertainly. He walked back over to the bed and kissed Elizabeth on the head. 'Lizzie, darling, I've got something important that needs attending to. It won't take long. Then I'll be back and we can continue where we left it.'

'Okay,' she said with a smile.

Jack pulled on his shirt, boots and waistcoat and grabbed his sword, before leaving the cabin wand walking out onto the deck. The Dutchman was floating alongside the Pearl and Will Turner was stood on a gangplank between the two ships. Jack saw that two of his crew had brought Thomas's body onto the deck.

'Will,' said Jack, as Will walked onto the Pearl.

'Jack,' he replied. 'It's good to see you.'

'And you,' said Jack. 'Nice to know ye haven't grown tentacles.'

Will laughed.

'The body's there,' said Jack.

Will ordered two of his men to carry the body across to the Dutchman.

'Is Elizabeth here?' asked Will.

Jack's heart missed a beat. He wasn't sure if he wanted Will to know he'd married Elizabeth. Then again, he knew from past experience that getting on the wrong side of the captain of the Flying Dutchman wasn't the best idea, and lying wouldn't do anything.

'Aye,' said Jack. 'But she's fast asleep.'

'Oh,' said Will. 'I'll leave her to sleep then. But she's okay?'

'She's more than okay,' said Jack. 'She's very happy and a great crew member.

'Good,' said Will. 'I'd best be going. It's been nice catching up with you.'

He turned back to his own ship.

'Will?'

Jack closed his eyes as he heard Elizabeth's voice from behind him.

'Elizabeth?' said Will and Jack opened his eyes. Elizabeth had dressed in a loose fitting shirt and breeches. She ran over to Will and embraced him, kissing him full on the mouth. Jack's mouth fell open as he watched them kiss.

'What's the matter, Sparrow? Never seen two people kiss before?' teased Will as he broke away from Elizabeth. Jack changed his expression and tried not to react, while his brain was encouraging him to go back into the cabin, take Will's heart, which had been hidden behind a secret panel at the back of his cupboard, and stab it repeatedly.

'What are you doing here Will?' asked Elizabeth.

'One of your crew died yesterday,' replied Will. 'I'm taking him to the next world. I need to get going though.' He kissed Elizabeth once more, though to Jack's relief, this kiss was considerably shorter than the previous one.

'Will, I need to tell you something,' said Elizabeth as Will walked back over to the Dutchman.

'Sorry Elizabeth,' he said. 'I need to go.'

'Will! This is important!'

'I love you Elizabeth!' Will shouted from his ship as the gangplank was withdrawn.

'Will!'

The Dutchman dove beneath the water, causing a wave to spray across the deck of the Pearl, soaking everyone.

Elizabeth walked over to Jack.

'You were going to let him go without me even knowing he was here!' she said angrily.

'No, love,' lied Jack. 'I didn't want you to have to trouble yerself by getting out of bed.'

She slapped him, and he couldn't really blame her. That was probably the worst lie he'd ever told. Still, who could blame him, it was early in the morning. 'No, Jack Sparrow!' she shouted. 'You didn't want me to know he was here!'

'Well can you blame me when the first thing you do when you see him is practically eat his face off?' argued Jack.

'Jack, I haven't seen Will for ages!' Elizabeth protested. 'I was married to him, remember?'

'_Was_ married!' yelled Jack. 'I'm yer husband now!'

'But…'

'Let's take this to the cabin,' growled Jack, noticing the crew were watching their argument develop. 'Back to work ye pathetic mongrels!' He took Elizabeth's shoulder firmly and steered her towards the cabin, closing the door behind them.

'Jack, I can't just ignore Will!' said Elizabeth.

'So am I just here to keep ye in practice for when ye next see the whelp?' yelled Jack. 'Am I just something to keep ye busy while yer real true love is off ferrying souls?'

'Jack, you know that isn't true,' she started.

'Well that's what it bloody looks like to me!' bellowed Jack. 'How would you like it if the next time I was in Tortuga, I kissed every single one of the whores I've slept with before.'

'Will is different,' said Elizabeth. 'I was married to him!'

'You told me that the marriage was annulled when he died! You told me ye didn't love him anymore because he'd changed. If you were lying, then ye shouldn't have married me! And you said that Will told you he didn't mind what ye did during the ten years. Which should include marrying me!'

'I was going to tell him about us, but then he left!' said Elizabeth. 'I wanted to tell him, but he didn't give me the chance.'

'Perhaps you should have told him instead of kissing him!'

'I didn't try to kiss him!' shouted Elizabeth, sobbing. 'I went to hug him and he kissed me. I could hardly say no. It wouldn't have been fair to him.'

'AND WHAT ABOUT WHAT'S FAIR TO ME?' bellowed Jack. 'When I married ye, it was under the impression that ye loved me and not Will. I didn't marry ye, just for while Will was away. I married ye because I loved ye and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with ye. If I hadn't wanted you completely to meself, I wouldn't have done it!'

'Jack…'

'Half of the women in the Caribbean would jump straight into me bed if I clicked me fingers, so why would I choose you, who insisted upon marrying me before I could have any fun? Could it possibly be because yer special? Because I love ye? I tell ye Lizzie, whores aren't half as much effort as a wife. But you mean so much to me that I'm prepared to put that effort in. I was ready to accept the challenge. And I did it! BUT NOW YE'VE GONE AND THROWN THE WHOLE BLOODY THING BACK IN ME FACE!'

Jack stormed out of the cabin and slammed the door behind him. He could hear her sobbing.

'Stupid wench!' he said, just loud enough for her to be able to hear him.

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><p><em>I might not update for a while. I get all of my exam results tomorrow, which may send me into depression and reduce me to alcoholicism, ruining my entire future, and even if I do pass my exams, I'm going away for a bit without internet access.<em>

_If any of you are Harry Potter fan, you might want to check out my other story. I've only just started it and I don't update it as often as this story, but you might enjoy it anyway. Access it through my profile if you're interested. :)_


	42. Tears

_Good news, I did far better than expected in all my exams! _

_I'm going to try to write as much as possible this week because I go back to school next week and looking at everything I have going on, I'll only have a couple of free nights a week, and my weekends are all busy too._

_Anyway, another chapter for you. _

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><p><strong>42. Tears<strong>

Jack spent the rest of the day lying on Elizabeth's old hammock. It made him sad because her smell still lingered on the pillow and blanket, but he knew that it was the only place on the ship he could go to without being disturbed by the crew. He lay there and cried, something which he hadn't done for a very long time, the argument playing back over and over again in his head. He wondered what she was doing, whether she'd already forgotten about it and was moving on, or whether she was lying in the cabin crying just like he was. Lying on _their_ bed, which they should be sharing together.

In the early evening, Gibbs came down to find him, carrying a bottle of rum and a sandwich, small chunks of roughly cut fish between two uneven chunks of bread. Jack rolled over and turned away from Gibbs, racing the hard wooden wall of the ship, not wanting his first mate to see him in such a state.

'Jack, are you alright?' he asked. Jack ignored him. 'I brought you some food. Some rum as well. I thought it might cheer you up a bit.' Jack still didn't say anything. 'Come on Jack. We're all missing you. Some of the crew are still a bit shaken up about Thomas. It'd do them good to see your face out and about.'

'Bugger off,' murmured Jack, choking back a sob.

'Lizzie's as upset as you are,' Gibbs informed him. 'She hasn't come out of the cabin all day. I think she wants you to go and see her. Tell her you still love her and make everything go back to how it was.'

'If Lizzie wants things to go back to how they were, she can come down here and bloody apologise!' growled Jack, turning to face Gibbs. Gibbs raised his eyebrows in surprise at Jack's tearstained face, the kohl from around his eyes smudged, but thankfully he didn't say anything.

'Jack, this is just a simple misunderstanding,' said Gibbs. 'There's no need fer ye to ruin an entire marriage because of it.'

'Marriage was a mistake,' sniffed Jack, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve, leaving a grubby mark on the recently washed fabric. 'I knew there was a reason why I'd never done it before.'

'You don't mean that,' Gibbs tried to comfort him. 'You and Lizzie are made for each other. I saw it from the moment I first saw you together. I've known her even longer than I've known you, and you're the two most stubborn people I've met. Please just think about what I've said. I'm not going to force ye to do anything yet.'

He left Jack alone to contemplate his words, but it was only after a few minutes that what he'd said hit him. Gibbs had known Lizzie longer than he'd known Jack? That meant he must have known her as a child, for Jack had known him since Barbossa's mutiny ten years ago. Jack hadn't known that, and it made him wonder how much else about his wife he didn't know.

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><p>Jack and Elizabeth ignored each other for almost three weeks. Jack continued to sleep in her hammock, and she slept in their bed in the cabin. Jack wasn't particularly happy with these arrangements and the fourth day after their argument led to a second fight between the newlyweds.<p>

'I want you out of me cabin!' he yelled at her. 'I'm fed up of having to sleep in that bloody hammock. It isn't doing any good to me back.'

'Why should I have to suffer because you've got geriatric back problems?' she shouted back.

'It's my ship, my cabin and my bed!'

'Well, if you're incapable of sleeping in a hammock, you're a rubbish pirate and definitely shouldn't be a captain, so I should take the cabin anyway!'

Jack growled angrily, storming out of the cabin and returning to the hammock. However, after another four days, he decided to take things into his own hands. He rearranged the night watch schedule so that Elizabeth had the shift after him, enabling him to get into the cabin before her.

When her watch ended at the midnight bells, she was outraged to find Jack already in the bed, pretending to be asleep. To Jack's disappointment, she didn't go back to her old hammock, but instead climbed into bed beside him and tugged the bedcovers so that they covered her instead. Still feigning sleep, Jack rolled away from her, pulling the covers back over to his side. She retaliated and this silent battle continued for almost half an hour, until eventually, Elizabeth sharply kicked Jack in the shin, using the opportunity to snatch the whole quilt off Jack and wrapping it around herself so that it would be impossible for Jack to get it back off her. He climbed out of bed and left the cabin, calling her a 'selfish bitch' as he slammed the door behind him.

The following evening, he made sure that she once again had the watch duty after him, retiring to bed early in order to claim the bed in the cabin as his own. This time he spread himself out across the whole bed, leaving no room for Elizabeth. When she arrived in the cabin after her duty, Jack could tell she was annoyed.

'Jack Sparrow, I don't care if I have to lie on top of you, but I am sleeping in that bed!' she snapped at him. Jack decided to ignore her and instead treated her to a particularly loud fake snore to emphasise his point.

She did exactly as she said she would and climbed on top of Jack, her head resting on his chest just below his own. Jack clenched his teeth. If she want to play the game like this, then so be it. He tilted his head, angling it so that his mouth was in front of her face, opening it and breathing out. He'd been informed in the past that he had breath to rival the Tortuga sewage system in terms of smell, and hoped he could use that to his advantage. Sure enough, Elizabeth coughed a couple of times, wrinkling her nose, then turned her head so that it faced in the opposite direction to Jack's mouth.

After lying there for some time, Jack's limbs were beginning to go numb from the weight of Elizabeth's body, still pressed face down on top of his own. He came up with a new plan, and began to breathe deeper and slower, trying to make it seem like he was asleep.

Once he was certain she had fallen for it, he let out a soft groan. He heard her breath catch in her throat and did it again, moving his hand to squeeze her bum, but she tried to brush it off.

'Oh yes,' he groaned, grabbing her bum with both hands this time. He had to stop himself smiling when he felt her heart rate increase against him warm chest. He allowed his hand to wander between her leg and rubbed it softly. 'Oh yes,' he growled. He could hear her breathing faster, trying not to react to the fact he was touching her so intimately through the thin material of her breeches. 'Mmm, Scarlett,' he moaned and Elizabeth froze. 'Yes, again. Oh Giselle.'

'Oh Will,' whimpered Elizabeth, and it was Jack's turn to freeze. She was quite obviously awake, and it was clear she knew Jack was also awake and only pretending to have an erotic dream from her next comment. 'Oh God Will! You're so much bigger than Jack! I don't know if it's going to fit!' She started grinding her hips into Jack's and moaning. Jack screwed up his face, trying not to let his body react to the fact he had an attractive young woman writhing on top of him, groaning sensually and rubbing herself against his crotch.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he pushed her off him. He stormed out of the room, his hands covering up the tent in his breeches, and he was sure he heard her giggle in triumph as he left.

Annoyed that Elizabeth had won two nights in a row, Jack decided to give up on trying to win the cabin back off her, and just accepted that he would have to sleep in the hammock. He missed her more than ever, but he didn't want to make the first move. He was scared that if he backed down and apologized, she might still reject him and then he would be left with nothing, not even his pride.


	43. Confrontation

_Yes, I've updated on two consecutive days! :O Well, I had a surge of inspiration and wrote this chapter and the next, which I'll try to put up in the next couple of days, providing I get a few reviews. I think I deserve them for such a quick update! ;)_

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><p><strong>43. Confrontation<strong>

Jack decided that he needed something to keep him occupied and to keep his mind off Elizabeth, and so set himself to doing something he should have done months ago, examining the charts he'd stolen off Barbossa after the battle of the maelstrom in order to find the route to the Fountain of Youth.

He spent three whole days sitting cross-legged on the hammock with the charts spread across his lap before he finally managed to make sense of them. He jumped off the hammock excitedly and ran up onto the deck, eager to show Gibbs what he had discovered. He found his first mate at the helm, and he tied down the big wheel to share his new knowledge with the older pirate.

'I've got it,' he grinned, unrolling the charts. 'Look, this is where everyone has been going wrong. If you spin the charts like this, it appears that the Fountain is in Florida. But if you spin them like this…' Jack demonstrated his point, moving the charts. Gibbs' eyes widened. '…then the Fountain is here.' He prodded a finger on the charts. 'Right on that island there.'

'Aye,' smiled Gibbs. 'Full sail ahead, cap'n?'

'Aye Mr Gibbs.'

'It seems the wind is in our favour too.'

'Excellent,' said Jack, all thought of Elizabeth and their arguments forgotten.

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><p>Unfortunately for Jack, his good mood didn't last long. Though he'd successfully found the location of the fountain on the Mao Kun map, the island in question proved to be considerably harder to locate in real life. The charts were confusing, and Jack kept losing the island on them, having to spend hours at a time with them trying to find it again. His compass was being less than useless, only ever pointing at Elizabeth, meaning he went back to moping around the ship, wishing things would sort themselves out between them, though still unwilling to be the one to sort things out. When he told Gibbs this, he said that Elizabeth was probably feeling exactly the same way.<p>

'Jack, if you want her back, then tell her,' Gibbs advised him. 'But avoiding her isn't going to solve anything. You've only been married for four weeks, and nearly three of those you spent not talking to each other. I know you both love each other.'

'If she loves me, then she'll come and speak to me,' said Jack. 'I'm perfectly content to sit here and wait. I have better things to do with me life than follow some woman around begging for her forgiveness.'

'She isn't just 'some woman' though,' sighed Gibbs. 'She's yer wife.'

'And she should do as I say,' growled Jack.

'That's not the type of wife ye wanted though,' said Gibbs. 'If ye wanted a wife to do as you say and act like she's just an object, you would have married one of your whores years ago. You married Lizzie because you wanted someone who'd stand up to ye, someone who you could talk to, share things with. Lizzie's just as clever as you. You're a perfect match, and it's killing me to see ye like this. I've considered marooning ye on an island together until you sort yerselves out. Or perhaps I could lock you in the same cell in the brig for a few days.'

'And if ye do that, ye'll be out of a job,' smirked Jack.

'Which is why I haven't,' replied Gibbs. 'But I tell ye Jack, I'm this close to banging yer heads together.' He held up his hand, his thumb and forefinger only and inch apart.

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><p>Jack ignored Gibbs' advice, and instead chose to confront Elizabeth about something else instead.<p>

'Wench, I want you out of my cabin now!' he stated in a bored voice as he threw open the door to the cabin in the early hours of the morning. He watched Elizabeth open her eyes groggily and start grumbling. 'Out, woman!'

She sat up in bed and stared at him. 'No!' she said defiantly.

'I said out!'

'And I said no!'

'I'm your husband!' he bellowed.

'You haven't been acting like you are,' she replied. 'You've ignored me for almost three weeks, and now you expect me to do as you say. If you want me to listen to you, then you should treat me like your wife.'

'Well, I'm your captain!'

'You know that one doesn't work either,' she smirked, pointing at herself. 'King.'

Jack responded by swearing loudly and kicking the bedpost in anger. 'If you don't get out of this cabin in the next minute, I swear I'll make you walk the plank,' he said, hoping she'd believe his threat.

'Go on then,' she said, daring him to do it with her eyes. When all he did was clench his fists, she smiled knowingly. 'I didn't think so, _Captain_.' She emphasized the last word and he growled.

'I will drag you out of this room if it comes to it,' he warned her.

'I don't think you will.'

'Won't I?' Jack stepped forwards, ripped the covers off her and grabbed her leg, dragging her towards him. She squealed and grabbed onto the bedpost, trying to resist his efforts. He was stronger than she was and he hands slipped, resulting in her being pulled off the bed with a loud crash. She flailed her legs madly, trying to break out of his grip, and he let go as she kicked his thigh sharply. Taking the opportunity while he was recovering, she flung both of her arms around his ankles, tripping him over so that he landed on top of her, his arms keeping the weight off her delicate body.

They struggled on the floor for a few minutes, arms and legs thrashing wildly. Jack felt her fist make contact with the side of his face and swore loudly, flipping them over suddenly and trapping her beneath his body. He took both of her arms and pinned them above her head, smirking as she wriggled helplessly beneath him.

Her eyes met with his, golden brown gazing into deep chocolate. Jack felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked properly into her eyes for the first time in three weeks. He'd forgotten how beautifully expressive her eyes were and lost himself in them. He was vaguely aware of her stopping struggling beneath him. Her eyes were darker than usual, and not just because the cabin was lit just by the light of the moon. There was something within them, possibly regret and longing, buried in with all of the anger and annoyance at him. It was like looking into his own heart. He could see everything that he felt about her in her eyes, pride and determinedness, an unwillingness to give in to the other, yet also vulnerability and emptiness, as well as a yearning for everything to go back to how it was before.

For endless minutes they stared into each other's eyes, and Jack wondered if the experience was giving her a similar epiphany to the one he was having. Realisation overwhelmed him, and his desire for his wife to forgive him and for everything to be forgotten increased.

Jack was the one to break the stare. He released her arms and snapped his head away, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes, not wanting her to see him like this. He shuffled off her, and stood up, straightening his coat and picking his hat up off the floor from where it lay following their little wrestling match on the floor. He walked to the door and turned back. Elizabeth was still staring at him. Their eyes met once more, and Jack held his breath before looking down at his feet.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered, turning and leaving the cabin, having completely forgotten his original purpose for going into the cabin at such an unusual hour of the night.

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><p><em>A huge thank you to all of you who have reviewed this story, and also thanks to all of you for sticking with me this far. I never expected to get such a positive response when I started writing, so it means a lot. :)<em>


	44. Surprise

_Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! I had a few more than normal and it's great to see a few new reviewers as well as the old ones! :)_

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><p><strong>44. Surprise<strong>

The next morning, Elizabeth approached Jack as he was standing at the helm. 'Jack, can I speak to you?' she asked softly, almost as if she was scared of him.

He grunted, not looking at her.

'Can we start speaking again, please?' she begged. 'I hate this. I miss you. And I'm sorry for kissing Will and getting angry at you, because I know that you were only thinking of me. I love you Jack. We've only been married for a few weeks, and I know it wasn't a mistake. We should still be completely happy with each other. We should spend the days talking and laughing, and you'd tell me stories of your past adventures, and then in the evening we should share a bottle of rum and then make love to each other over and over again throughout the night until we're so tired we can't move anymore. Then we should fall asleep in each other's arms and when we wake up the next day, we do it all again.'

'Well, I do like the sound of that,' he said, looking up into her eyes. 'Especially the bit about rum and making love to each other again and again.'

She smiled, her body relaxing and her eyes lightening up. 'Do you forgive me?' she asked.

'Do you forgive _me_?' he replied. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted like I did, and I shouldn't have called ye all those names and shouted and got mad at ye. I love you Lizzie.'

'I love you too Jack,' she smiled, and he tied down the helm to take her into his arms. They just stood there and held each other for long moments, forgetting everything else. The wind whipped their hair and the sound of Gibbs shouting out orders to the crew carried across the air, but Jack and Elizabeth were oblivious to it all as they hugged each other, glad to have sorted their problems out.

'We've been really stupid, haven't we, love?' Jack smiled, running his fingers through her soft hair, twirling it in his hand. She snuggled in closer to his chest.

'Next time we see Will, I'm just going to tell him everything,' she replied, absentmindedly stroking his back. 'Hopefully he won't be too upset.'

'And if he is, then it's two against one in a sword fight,' Jack grinned.

'But Will can't die,' pointed out Elizabeth.

'Oh yeah,' realised Jack. 'But we do have his heart as a bargaining tool.'

'We won't need to bargain,' said Elizabeth. 'I'm sure he'll be fine about us. He loves me and I love you, so he'll be happy for us. He told me that my happiness was his happiness.'

'He's a good man,' admitted Jack, deliberately using the phrase she always used to describe him.

'You're a good man too,' she informed him.

'I'm a conceited, jealous, arrogant prat.'

'But you're my conceited, jealous, arrogant prat, and I wouldn't love you if you were any other way,' she smiled at him. 'You're also brave, and noble, and determined, and more than anything else, you make me happy.'

'You do the same to me, love.' He leaned his face down and kissed her slowly and softly. It was nothing like the hard passionate kisses he'd given her in the first week of their marriage, but it held a thousand emotions in it. The kiss was an apology, a declaration of love and a healer of the wounds that had formed during their arguments all in one. This kiss meant love.

They broke apart after long minutes, and Elizabeth looked up into Jack's face. 'Jack, there's something else we need to talk about,' she said, and anxious look spreading across her features.

'Is there?'

'Jack…' she paused. 'Jack, I'm pregnant.'

It took Jack a moment to process this information. 'You're pregnant? How did that happen?'

'Well Jack,' she said, with a cheeky smile. 'There's a certain activity that can happen between a man and a woman. It's an activity that we both enjoy very much. It often takes place in a bed, though you've demonstrated countless times that it can happen anywhere else and be equally as enjoyable. Anyway, when a man and a woman do this activity…'

'Yes, you silly woman,' he scolded. 'I know _how_ it happened, I'm just surprised that it's happened to us.'

'Did you think that we were different and unable to have a child in the same way as everyone else?' The word child made Jack realize just what was happening to him, and the scale of this development.

'We're going to have a little baby?' he asked.

'Yes, that's just what I've been telling you. Weren't you listening?'

'A baby, Lizzie,' he said softly, getting excited. 'There's a little mini version of me and you sat inside yer stomach, waiting to pop out. And when it does it'll be ours. We'll have to look after it and bring it up. And I can teach him to fight with a sword, and how to sail a ship and turn him into the rightful heir to the Black Pearl.' Jack was excited at this prospect.

'Him?' asked Elizabeth. 'You think it's going to be a boy?'

'No, I just meant it as a generic,' he said. 'I mean he's an actual person, so it doesn't seem right to call him 'it'.' Jack thought about it for a moment and remembered the little boy from his vision of the future, Henry. 'Actually, yes. I think it is going to be a boy. He will have brown hair, like yours but slightly darker. And he will look just like you. But he'll have my eyes and my smile.'

'Are you happy?'

'Lizzie, love, I can't wait. I love you so much. And I love our little baby too.' He knelt down, lifted up the front on Elizabeth's shirt and pressed a gentle kiss to her stomach. 'Hello, little one. This is yer Daddy. I love ye lots and lots, you remember that.'

He stood up again and kissed Elizabeth, then held her in his arms as they stood there happily.

'Oh, Lizzie,' he said. 'This is the most wonderful day of me life.'

'And mine Jack,' she said. 'I love you.'

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><p><em>I'm getting excited about this story now. If I could write all day then I would, but unfortunately, I have other things to do. But it won't stop me trying!<em>


	45. Announcement

**45. Announcement**

Jack and Elizabeth were both thrilled, not only about the fact they'd made up with each other, but also because of the prospect of becoming parents. Jack was particularly thrilled, and had taken to walking around the ship with a grin on his face and a spring in his step, praising his crew members and offering them extra rum for no apparent reason.

Gibbs was quick to notice the change in Jack, and though he'd thought it was just because of his reunion with Elizabeth for the first few days, after a week of Jack's unusual behaviour, he began to suspect something else was the cause of Jack's newfound happiness.

Jack and Elizabeth had agreed not to tell any of the crew about her pregnancy until they'd checked that every single member of the Pearl's crew was deemed 'safe'. After the incident with Thomas, they were unwilling to trust any member of their crew and so were planning a rigorous interview process to make sure that their child was born into a safe environment. They hadn't even told Gibbs, though Jack's excitement led him to make the decision on Elizabeth's behalf to tell the first mate their news.

'Lizzie's expecting a baby,' he blurted, when Gibbs asked him why he was so merry. Gibbs stared at him, his eyes wide. Jack wasn't sure if Gibbs had heard him. 'My baby,' he added, and when Gibbs still didn't respond he sighed impatiently. 'Mr Gibbs, Lizzie is pregnant. I'm going to be a father. Did ye hear me?'

'Aye Jack, I heard ye,' said Gibbs, his mouth curving into a smile. 'I'm just surprised. Congratulations Jack!' He slapped Jack on the back. 'I should have known it'd happen sooner or later, what with the sounds that come out of yer cabin late at night.'

Jack smirked.

'So, when's the baby due?' asked Gibbs.

'We'll find out for certain when we visit a midwife in Tortuga, but we think it'll be a few weeks before Christmas,' Jack told him.

'You're this excited already?' laughed Gibbs. 'I'd hate to see what you're going to be like in eight months.'

'I can't wait,' grinned Jack.

'I think you'll be different when the time comes,' said Gibbs. 'You'll be sick of Elizabeth by then.'

'No I won't! She's me wife!'

'Jack, have you ever been around a pregnant woman before?'

'No, why?' asked Jack, his eyes widening in worry. Would pregnany turn his wife into a creature as foul and hideous as the Kraken?

'To start, she'll probably start throwing up every single morning,' Gibbs informed him and Jack winced. 'Then there are the mood swings, where one minute she'll be worshipping the ground ye walk on and then she'll suddenly start throwing things at yer head. She'll start having funny food cravings and will demand ye sail across the Caribbean to find the food for her, only to deny all knowledge of the craving when ye do eventually find it.'

Jack's face was horrified, dreading the coming months. 'Is it really this bad?'

'There are a couple of perks,' said Gibbs. 'About four months in, there'll be one thing on her mind.'

'And what's that?'

'Sex,' said Gibbs simply, and Jack smiled. 'She'll keep ye going all day, every day. Yes, it might sound good now, but when she passes through that phase it gets even worse. Swollen feet, back ache, tiredness, the growing belly, grumpiness. Ye'll be counting down the seconds until that little 'un pops out, just so ye can get yer wife back. And then when the baby's born there'll be more trouble. Crying all through the night, loads of poop and sick. It'll be tough Jack.'

'Yes, but I'm Captain Jack Sparrow,' he replied, putting a brave face on, though for the first time, he wasn't entirely sure that just his name would be enough to get him through what the next few months had in store.

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><p>As soon as the Black Pearl arrived in Tortuga, Jack, Elizabeth and Gibbs began to interview each and every member of their crew to make sure they only kept the trustworthy pirates, if such people existed. Some of them, like Marty and Cotton, were obvious to keep, having proved their loyalty to Jack over and over again. Other more thuggish crew members were clear rejections, and Jack knew from their violent history that he would never be able to keep them around his child. A few men were tricky decisions, but they eventually decided one way or the other.<p>

Pintel and Ragetti fell into a category entirely of their own. Jack found himself unable to completely trust them after their involvement in Barbossa's mutiny many years ago, but their attachment to Elizabeth made him certain they would never do anything to harm her or their child, so he allowed them to remain in their crew.

After several days of tough decisions and a couple of fights with the men who were angry to have been removed from the crew, the Pearl was left with its two captains, a first mate and nine other men. While it was possible to sail the ship with a crew this small, it would mean hard work, longer shifts and more strain on Jack. Fortunately, they'd forseen this problem and had sent a message ahead to Tai Huang on the Empress, asking to meet them in Tortuga. The Empress wasn't too far away, never returning to Singapore after the battle of the maelstrom in case Elizabeth ever needed them, and they met up with Tai Huang only two weeks after their own arrival in Tortuga. Elizabeth's stand-in captain was very willing to give some of the Empress's crew to the Pearl, and Jack knew these men would be loyal to Elizabeth as their captain and king.

Once their new crew had been established and they had left Tortuga, once again going in search of the Fountain of Youth, Jack and Elizabeth decided it was time to announce their exciting news to the rest of the crew and gathered them on deck.

'Gents, me and Lizzie have something important to tell you,' he told them, finding it hard not to grin madly at them all. 'Lizzie is pregnant. We're going to have a baby!'

The crew immediately started yelling and cheering. Many of them came up to the happy couple to congratulate them. Pintel and Ragetti were particularly thrilled to hear the news, and went away with tears in their eyes after Elizabeth had promised to name them honorary uncles once the baby had been born.

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><p><em>I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I think I got twice as many reviews as I normally get for a chapter, and it made me very happy! THANK YOU! :D<em>

_I go back to school tomorrow, so I'm apologizing in advance for the slow updates that will inevitably come. I will try my hardest, my I'm not making any promises._


	46. Baby Talk

_Sorry for the slight delay! This has been one of the busiest weeks of my life! I was going to update yesterday, but my On Stranger Tides DVD arrived and I needed to watch it!_

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><p><strong>46. Baby Talk<strong>

Jack and Elizabeth spent a lot of time talking about the Fountain of Youth over the coming weeks. Jack was still struggling to find the island it was supposedly situated on, but they both agreed they needed to discuss what would happen when they got there.

'I'm not sure I want to drink from the fountain,' said Elizabeth.

'Why not?' asked Jack. 'Lizzie, it's immortality. We could sail the seas together for all eternity.'

'I don't know what it'll do to my body,' she said, worriedly. 'Does it mean we'll look like this forever? Will my body be exactly like this for the rest of time?'

'Your body is perfect,' he said, squeezing her hand. 'I wouldn't be complaining.'

'But if my body never changes, does that mean that the baby stops growing?' she asked. Jack's face fell. He hadn't thought of it like that before. 'Jack, what if it means that I'm three months pregnant forever. The baby will never be born. And if it is born, then does it mean the water from the Fountain runs through its body too, meaning it never grows up. Jack, there are so many possibilities of things that could go wrong. I don't want to risk our baby for immortality.'

'But there's a chance that it won't affect him,' pointed out Jack.

'A chance, yes,' said Elizabeth. 'I'm just saying that I'd rather be mortal and live a happy life with you and our child than be immortal and never have this baby. Even if everything is fine, what if the child is immortal too. Maybe it won't want to be. I don't want to make that decision for it, and then for it to resent us for its whole life.'

'Okay,' said Jack. 'I accept that. But we're still going to find the Fountain.'

'I wouldn't try to stop you,' she smiled. 'If you want to drink from the Fountain, you can. Maybe we'll come back in a few years and I'll drink from it too.'

'The baby might even be born before we find the Fountain,' said Jack.

'If it is, then you're really bad at navigation,' she teased.

'Oi!' he said grumpily, but she made up for her rude comment with a kiss, and Jack forgave her as they tumbled into bed together, giggling.

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><p>'Jack?'<p>

'Yes, love?'

They were snuggled up together in bed, Jack's strong arm wrapped around Elizabeth's body. Her left hand was linked with his right, their fingers entwined, and their joined hands rested over her swollen stomach. Elizabeth was now five months into her pregnancy. Gibbs had been right. She insisted on spending most of their time in bed together, her needs seemingly far more urgent than his. When they weren't in bed, she was usually arguing with him or demanding things from him.

'Have you given any thought to what we're going to call the baby?' she asked, looking up into his eyes.

'Have you?' he asked.

'I've tried, but I can't think of anything suitable,' she sighed. 'I want it to be a proper name, not some silly pirate name like One-Eyed Joe or something.' Jack sniggered at this. 'But obviously, it needs to fit in with pirates too. I just want to be able to find the perfect name.'

'I think One-Eyed Joe Sparrow is quite an original name,' snorted Jack, and she hit him playfully. 'You do realize that most pirates with ridiculous names like that are just nicknamed. They normally have lovely boring names like Fred or Pete.'

'Is there anyone you want to name the baby after?' asked Elizabeth, leaning her head on his shoulder and inhaling the scent of sea and rum that lingered on his body.

'How about Jack Sparrow the Second?' he suggested with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

'One Jack Sparrow is quite enough for me,' she replied. 'Besides, you already have a monkey named after you. It's not fair you should have a child named after you too.'

'We could always name him after one of your past flames,' Jack grinned.

'You mean James or Will?' she asked, turning up her nose. 'No thank you!'

'Your father?'

'I always felt sorry for my father. Weatherby is such an unfortunate name. I'm not landing such misfortune on my child too. It's a bad enough name for a governor, let alone a pirate.'

'How about something unusual like Magnus?' joked Jack. 'With a name like that, he'll be destined for great things.' Elizabeth shook her head. 'Octavius?' he suggested, suppressing a snort.

'Where do you get these names from?' asked Elizabeth, shaking her head at her husband. 'Octavius makes him sounds like an octopus.'

'I did have one sensible suggestion to make,' he said, stopping laughing and looking at her seriously, remembering their son from the future. She looked at him and nodded for him to continue. 'Henry. It's normal, it's suitable for either a pirate or someone who lives on land. There have been loads of kings named Henry, and I'm not naming him after anyone. It'd be his own name.'

Elizabeth furrowed her brows, considering the name.

'I mean, if ye don't like it, I'll come up with something else,' he said hurriedly. 'It was just an idea I had, but if it's not very good…'

'No, I like it,' she said, smiling. 'Henry Sparrow.'

'Captain Henry Sparrow,' Jack corrected her. 'That little boy is going to be heir to my ship. I won't let ye forget his title.'

'Okay, so Henry it is for a boy,' Elizabeth said. 'What about girl's names?'

'Girl's names?' asked Jack, surprised.

'We don't know the baby's going to be a boy.'

'I do!'

'How?'

'I just do!' argued Jack. 'Lizzie, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I have ways of knowing these things. You have to believe me when I say that the little baby growing inside you is a boy.' He didn't want to tell her about what he'd seen in the future. He knew he'd tell her one day, but he didn't think he was ready for her to know yet.

'But how do you know this?' she pressed him and he sighed impatiently. Couldn't she just take his word for it? He remembered vivdly what he'd seen and could recall exactly what Henry had looked like.

'Father's intuition,' he improvised. 'There are ways of knowing. I can just tell. Please Lizzie, believe me. I promise I'll tell you how I know in the future sometime, after Henry has been born. But I just know it's a boy.'

'Okay,' she said uncertainly. 'I'll believe you.'

'Good,' he said, hugging her tightly. 'I'm always right, ye know.'

He smiled to himself. He was getting more and more excited by the day at the prospect of what he'd seen in the future coming true, and it was becoming increasingly real now that Elizabeth had agreed the name with him. With only four months left until he had to embrace fatherhood, Jack had never been happier.


	47. The Fountain

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!_

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><p><strong>47. The Fountain<strong>

It took Jack three long months to find his way to the island on which the Fountain of Youth was hidden. It was a hard time for Jack, as he was spending long hours with the charts or at the helm, time he would much rather spend looking after Elizabeth. She maintained that she was fine and on doing everything herself, but her belly had expanded hugely and she staggered around everywhere, complaining of sore feet and back ache. Jack insisted on bringing her all of her meals, and didn't like her coming out of the cabin in case she slipped on the deck, but Elizabeth argued and said she was bored.

The days were long when they argued like this, as Elizabeth became whiny and Jack sulked, it rubbing off on the other crew members. However, a part of Jack liked the fact that they argued almost every day, particularly as the make-up sex every night was even more incredible as usual as they turned their frustrations into passion.

It was a mild day in the middle of November when they eventually reached the island, having sailed through two hurricanes and several smaller tropical storms to get there. It was strangely empty when they got there, having only seen a couple of ships on the voyage, the last being another pirate ship that had been tailing them. Jack was fairly certain that they'd lost them in the second hurricane, as he only knew one other pirate with skills at the helm matching his own and Jack sincerely hoped he wasn't following the Pearl.

As they were on an almost unfindable island, Jack took the risk of leaving only four people behind on the Pearl, while the rest of the crew would take part in the journey on land to find the Fountain. Jack left Elizabeth in charge of the other three, as he didn't want her hiking through the jungle in her state, particularly as she had already decided not to drink from the Fountain. She was pleased that she'd been left in charge, even if she had been one of only four candidates, but Jack knew she suspected he'd order her to stay in bed and put someone else in the role.

However, after a day of travelling through the dense jungle, Jack had a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that Elizabeth wasn't quite as safe as he hoped. He knew he was probably just being paranoid, but he was worried about her and the baby, which was due to be born in just three weeks.

When he knew that they were just a few hours from the Fountain, Jack spoke with Gibbs and asked him to lead the expedition onwards without him, insisting that immortality was nothing in comparison to his wife's safety. Gibbs agreed to lead the crew on, and so Jack turned around and spent the day travelling back to the Pearl alone. After a fight with a particularly vicious jaguar in which Jack came out on top, he eventually made it back to the Pearl in the middle of the night.

His suspicions were correct and though there wasn't another ship in sight, he suspected it had been anchored somewhere further away, as an unfamiliar longboat was moored to the side of the Pearl. Jack hurriedly climbed up the ladder on the side of the ship, hoping he wasn't too late. He peered over the railing, and sighed with relief as he saw Elizabeth walking across the deck, singing, her voice carrying across the silence of the night.

'We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot, drink up me hearties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot, drink up me hearties, yo ho.'

Jack watched a second figure walk across the deck and recognised him immediately as just who he'd feared had been tailing them. He'd never mistake that enormous hat anywhere. He silently drew his sword, but stayed out of sight, wanting to see what would happen.

'I don't know much about babies, but I know that if that was Turner's, it would have already been born.' Elizabeth jumped at the sound of Barbossa's voice and turned around, her hand on her stomach protectively.

'Hector,' she stammered.

'Who's the lucky man?' leered Barbossa.

'Why are you here?' she asked. 'If you're looking for Jack, he's not around.'

'Even better,' grinned Barbossa. 'Now, I hope ye don't mind while I take me ship back.'

'This ship is Jack's, not yours,' Elizabeth said defiantly, drawing her sword and pointing it at Barbossa.

'Too right it is, love,' said Jack, vaulting over the railing and standing between Barbossa and his wife, pointing his own sword at his rival.

'Jack,' smirked Barbossa. 'I shoulda known the brat was yours.'

'Don't talk about my son like that,' Jack growled.

'How much rum did ye have to give her to get her into yer bed? I must say I'm surprised. I didn't have her down as a common whore.'

'She's not. She's me wife.'

Barbossa cackled. 'Stealin' from the most powerful man on the seven seas, eh Sparrow? Does Mr Turner know that his wife is now yours.'

'I didn't steal her,' argued Jack. 'She willingly agreed, and the whelp gave her freedom. She was no longer married to him after he died. She was free for me to take, and she's glad that I did, aren't ye love.'

'Jack's the bravest man I know,' Elizabeth told Barbossa strongly. 'I'm honoured to be his wife.'

'You won't mind if I maroon ye on an island together then, will ye? I'm here to take the Pearl.'

'No ye aren't,' said Jack, lunging forwards with his sword. Barbossa blocked it, but it knocked him off balance, and Jack swung three more well-placed attacks at him. The older pirate defended them all and sent an offensive swing in Jack's direction. Jack ducked and flung his sword up to block it, countering with a jab at Barbossa's legs. Barbossa stumbled as he swung to defend himself, but before he could aim another blow at Jack, Elizabeth swung a huge wooden oar at Barbossa, hitting him squarely in the back of the head and knocking him unconscious.

'Good teamwork, love,' Jack grinned, sheathing his sword and catching his breath back. 'But I'm not sure it's good for you to swing an oar around like that.'

'Stop fussing,' Elizabeth teased him, kissing him quickly on the lips. 'How come you're back? Where are the rest of the men?'

'I sent them on ahead without me,' he explained. 'They'll be back in the next couple of days.'

'What about you?' she asked. 'What about becoming immortal?'

'There are more important things in life than living forever,' he smiled. 'I'd be perfectly happy to live for another forty years and spend that time with you and our son, than to be immortal. The rest of the crew can drink from it, but I'll just age like a normal man. I spotted Barbossa's ship following us into the second hurricane and knew he'd be able to sail through it as easily as I could. I was worried he'd try and hurt you while I was gone, so I came back. Just in time too.'

'I was handling the situation perfectly well on my own,' she chided him. 'Let me remind which of us actually knocked him out.'

'And I congratulate you for it, love,' Jack said, squeezing her arm. 'Now let me just deal with this oaf, and I'll be right with you in the cabin.'

Jack tied Barbossa up and left him in the longboat, pushing it out to sea and watching him rift away into the distance. He chuckled, knowing Barbossa would get a shock when he woke up, but Jack thought he'd been kind to leave the oar that Elizabeth had knocked him unconscious with in the bottom of the boat as a reminder to what had happened.

The rest of the crew turned up late the following evening, having drunk from the Fountain and become immortal. They all seemed to have been quite jolly about it, and the report Gibbs gave Jack showed that none of them had caused any trouble after he'd left. Jack was glad that their harsh interviews in Tortuga seemed to have paid off as they'd ended up with a good bunch of pirates left in their crew.


	48. Birth

_Mwahaha! That's all I have to say about this chapter. :P_

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><p><strong>48. Birth<strong>

Jack woke up late the following morning. Unfortunately, Elizabeth had already left the bed, which Jack was unhappy about. For some unexplainable reason, he found her large belly remarkably attractive and wanted to show her just how he felt about it with repeated and thorough demonstrations of his affections. Instead, he got out of bed, dressed and went to find her. She was standing at her favourite spot by the rail, so he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her belly, kissing the back of her neck gently. She laughed as his beard tickled her.

'How is Mrs Sparrow this morning?'

'She's fine,' replied Elizabeth. 'Much better now that Captain Sparrow has joined her.'

'And how is Master Sparrow?' he asked, running a hand across her large stomach.

'He's quiet this morning,' she said. 'He hasn't been kicking.'

'Is he okay?' asked Jack, turning her round, a worried look on his face.

'I'm sure he's fine,' Elizabeth reassured him. 'He's probably sleeping or something.'

Jack sighed with relief, but she suddenly gasped out in pain and bent double.

'Lizzie?' he asked panicking slightly. 'Lizzie, love. What's the matter? Is it Henry?' Jack looked on in shocked as she gasped again and something wet trickled down her legs onto the deck. 'Lizzie?'

'Jack,' she gasped. 'I think he's coming. I think Henry's coming.' Jack was rooted to the spot, unsure what he should do. They hadn't discussed what they would do when it was time for the birth. Henry wasn't due for another three weeks and he was planning to be in a port when the time came. 'Jack, do something!'

Jack leaned forwards and swept her up into his arms, staggering under her weight. He carried her across to the cabin and went inside, placing her gently down on the bed.

'I'll only be gone for a minute, love,' said Jack. 'I'm going to get Gibbs and Cotton. They're the ship's doctors.' He grimaced as she yelled out in pain.

He dashed out of the cabin and ran below deck.

'Gibbs! Cotton!' he yelled as he entered the men's quarters. The two men hurriedly climbed out of their hammocks and pulled on their clothes. 'My cabin now. Lizzie's having the baby!'

'Ready to sail, ready to sail!' chirped the parrot and the two men followed Jack back up to the cabin, where Lizzie was lying on the bed, yelling out in pain. Gibbs examined her.

'Miss Elizabeth, I'm going to have to ask ye to take off yer breeches,' said Gibbs, looking at Jack nervously for confirmation.

'Just do it,' gasped Elizabeth.

'No, ye can't do that!' said Jack, protectively.

'Jack, how else are we going to get the baby out? Cotton, could you got and fetch the cleanest towels and sheets you can find?'

Cotton nodded and left, returning a couple of minutes later with the items. Jack watched nervously as the two men set up the room and the bed ready for the birth.

'The contractions are getting closer together,' said Gibbs, as Elizabeth screamed out in pain.

'How much longer?' asked Jack, hating seeing his wife in pain any longer than necessary.

'Oh, this could go on all day,' said Gibbs.

'All bloody day?' exclaimed Jack. 'Can't she just push and he'll pop out?'

'No she can't,' replied Gibbs. 'The baby will come out when he's ready. We just need to wait for now, then she can start pushing later when the contractions are closer and the dilations are wider. Cap'n, why don't ye go outside and check on the crew. I'll call ye when we start doing the proper work.'

'Okay,' said Jack anxiously. He left the cabin and paced nervously. The crew seemed to be working just fine, though a couple of them came and asked him if Elizabeth was alright. The questions ceased and the crew left him alone after he snapped angrily at Ragetti.

* * *

><p>About two hours later, Cotton came out to fetch him. He dashed back into the cabin, where Elizabeth was lying on the bed calling his name, her brow sweaty and Gibbs crouched between her legs.<p>

'She needs to start pushing now, Jack,' said Gibbs. 'Encourage her, help her. She needs you.'

'It's okay, Lizzie,' he said, pulling his chair up so that it was beside the bed. He sat in it and took her hand in his, giving her a reassuring squeeze. 'I'm here. We can do this together. We'll get through this.'

'That's okay for you to say,' she said, crying out in pain again. 'You don't have to do anything. You're not the one who feels like they've got a pineapple jammed up their arse!'

'Show me how much it hurts, Lizzie,' he said. 'Squeeze my hand when it hurts.' She yelled out and squeezed his hand so hard that Jack thought she might crush his bones. 'That's it, love.'

'Ye can start pushing now, Miss Elizabeth,' said Gibbs.

'Come on Lizzie,' said Jack. 'Push.'

She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on pushing, gripping his hand hard. Jack glanced down towards Gibbs, but regretted it, seeing him throw a bloodsoaked towel to the floor.

'What's with all the blood?' asked Jack.

'It's normal,' replied Gibbs.

'Gibbs, how many babies have ye delivered before?' asked Jack in a panicked voice.

'You aren't helping, Jack,' moaned Elizabeth, pushing once more. 'God, I hate you Sparrow. You're the one who got me in this mess in the first place.' She yelled in pain.

'I'm sorry Lizzie,' said Jack. 'Just a few more little pushes and we'll have our son.'

'I hate you Jack,' she said again. 'This hurts like hell!' She proved her point by screaming out.

'Come on, love,' said Jack, wiping her sweaty face with a towel. 'It can't be that bad.'

'Can't be that bad?' she repeated, her face fuming. 'Jack, I'd like to see you try and give birth. This is the most painful thing I have ever…' She screamed again.

'Jack, you really aren't helping,' said Gibbs.

'Jack Sparrow, why did I let you marry me in the first place? If I hadn't married you, I wouldn't have done anything to get me bloody pregnant in the first place!'

'Captain,' he reminded her. 'Captain Jack Sparrow.'

'I don't care if you're a captain!' she yelled at him. 'You could be the bloody King of England and I wouldn't give a monkey's arse!' Jack could tell that giving birth must be a terrible ordeal for her. Elizabeth's language was never this bad if there was anyone other than Jack around.

'I'm sorry, love,' he said. 'Now, push.'

'Jack, get out!' Elizabeth panted.

'What?'

'Get out! I hate you!'

'No!' argued Jack stubbornly.

'Go! Now!'

'I won't!'

'Jack, do as she says,' pleaded Gibbs. 'It's not doing the baby any good for her to be in this state.'

'Jack, get out before I cut your head off,' said Elizabeth, grabbing a small knife from the table beside the bed and wielding it in Jack's direction. Jack grumpily left the room and walked out on deck as Cotton coaxed the knife out of her hand.

'How is she?' asked Pintel, rushing over to Jack.

'She just threatened me with a knife,' said Jack.

'Is that normal?'

'I don't know,' he said frustratedly. 'I just want it to be over, for Lizzie's sake.'

* * *

><p>Jack paced up and down on the deck, trying to ignore the regular screams emanating from his cabin throughout the day. He had tried everything to block them out, and even standing at the helm of his beloved ship, which normally distracted him from any worries he had, could not ease his concerns. It didn't help that he was stood right above the cabin where Elizabeth was giving birth. He considered hiding down in the bowels of the ship to get away from it, but he decided the temptation of rum was greater down there and he didn't want to be drunk for the first moments of his son's life.<p>

He winced as another piercing scream ripped through the walls of the cabin, noticing the looks of sympathy some of the crew were giving him as they moved around on the deck. Jack wanted nothing more than to rush into the cabin, hold Elizabeth in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

'Jack!' Gibbs ran out of the cabin and shouted up to him.

'What? Is everything okay?'

'It's great!' Gibbs smiled. 'It's all over.'

Jack ran down the stairs, only stopping for long enough to ask a young pirate to take over the helm.

'You've got a daughter, Jack,' said Gibbs.

Jack nearly tripped over. 'I've got a what?'

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><p><em>:P I've waited three months to reach this cliffhanger, so tell me what you think of it. Admit it, you weren't expecting it, were you? ;)<em>

_Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, and a particularly special thank you/congratulations to Sparrow 789 who left the 150__th__ review! :D_

_And happy talk like a pirate day! :) If you have time, check out the little oneshot I put up yesterday to comemorate the occasion._


	49. Rosie

_Thanks for the positive reviews! :) I was worried you'd all hate me for promising a son and then giving you a daughter, so I was happy that you liked it. _

_Sorry that this one's short. It was going to be on the end of the previous chapter, but then I decided to split them in two to give you the cliffhanger. ;)_

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><p><strong>49. Rosie<strong>

'A little girl Jack,' said Gibbs as they entered the cabin. 'She's beautiful.'

Jack looked on at Elizabeth, who was lying on the bed looking sweaty and tired, but happy, a small bundle in her arms. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, looking down in wonder at his baby daughter.

'Oh, Lizzie…'

Elizabeth looked up at Jack, a wicked grin on her face. '_Trust me Lizzie. It's a boy. I know these things. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow and I'm never wrong._' Jack shook his head at Elizabeth's perfect impression of his voice. Gibbs and Cotton left the cabin to leave the three of them alone.

'I swear she was meant to be a boy,' he said. 'I don't know what's gone wrong. She was definitely going to be a boy.'

'You aren't disappointed are you?'

'Of course not!' said Jack. 'She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Alongside her mother of course.' Jack kissed Elizabeth's forehead and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his chest. 'I love you, Lizzie. I love you both. I'm so proud of you.'

'Do you want to hold her?'

'Hold her? How? I don't know these things!' exclaimed Jack, and Elizabeth laughed. 'What?' pouted Jack.

'The legendary Captain Jack Sparrow,' she teased him. 'Lock him up and you can guarantee he'll escape within about half an hour. Kill him and you know he won't really be dead. But ask him to hold his newborn daughter and he's stumped!'

'Well, I've never done it before!' Elizabeth gently placed their daughter in his arms, showing how to hold her and moving his arms so that they supported her. Jack smiled and the feeling of the warm little body held close to his chest and he dropped a light kiss to her forehead.

'Poor little sod,' he said, sympathetically.

'What?'

'She's got me hair!' he said, gesturing to the little tuft of black hair on the top of the girl's head. 'It's so hard to manage, so I had to tie it into these ropes.' He gestured to his own long, black dreadlocks.'

'I like your hair,' giggled Lizzie. 'It makes you look roguish.'

'Well my little girl is not going to be a rogue!' said Jack protectively.

'Are you planning on bringing her up to be a proper young lady?' teased Elizabeth. 'Good luck with that. You can teach her foreign languages, and how to ballroom dance and she can walk around quoting Shakespeare. Maybe she can marry a respectable man from the navy.'

'If she marries a navy officer, I may have to shoot meself!' said Jack. 'Might be useful though, having a man on the inside. You know, if I'm ever foolish enough to get meself arrested again.'

'Jack!'

'Sorry darling!'

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of being a little family. Jack was so incredibly happy he found it hard not to cry with joy, but he decided that he didn't want to give Elizabeth another reason to mock him at a later date.

'Jack, you know how you told me she was definitely a boy?'

'Don't tease me about that again.'

'I'm not going to,' she said. 'It's just we decided that if it was a boy we'd call it Henry. We never even considered girls' names because you insisted there was no chance she would be a girl.'

'Hmm, yes,' he said thoughtfully. 'I suppose we need to think of a name then. We can hardly call her Henry!'

'Do you have any ideas? And if you dare to suggest Scarlett and Giselle as names, I will threaten you with that knife again! Sensible suggestions please, Jack.'

'Ye know me, being sensible comes naturally,' he grinned and she snorted. 'There is one name I thought of.' She nodded and he continued. 'Rose. Rose Elizabeth Sparrow. I mean, if ye don't like it, I'll think of something better…'

'No Jack, it's beautiful,' she said. 'Just like her. Our little Rosie Sparrow.' Elizabeth beamed. 'Oh, Jack. This is just perfect! I never knew it was possible to be so happy!'

'Me neither, love,' said Jack, smiling and a tear fell from his eye. 'Look what ye've done Rosie. Ye've made yer daddy so happy that he's turned into a blubbering fool. We both love ye very much, darling. Just you remember that, okay?'


	50. Reading

_Sorry. This took a while because it's such an important chapter. It explains the first few chapters of the story, and I'd like to suggest that if it doesn't make sense, you revisit some of the first ten chapters, in particular chapter 6! _

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><p><strong>50. Reading<strong>

'…and then, using just one shot, he fired the pistol, severing the rope and escaping through the sewers beneath the palace,' read Jack, his daughter lying in one arm, the book in his other hand. ''This is one of Jack Sparrow's most infamous escapes.' It should be Captain Jack Sparrow again there, Rosie. This book really is bad at remembering.'

He bent to kiss the dark brown curls on the top of her head, and she made a wild snatch for the braids of his beard, making a gurgling noise and smiling as she did so.

'No, darling,' he said, gently prying her tiny little fist away from the hair. 'Not Daddy's beard. Can I tell ye a secret Rosie? That might have been one of my most infamous escapes, but it also happens to be a complete lie. I made that one up meself to impress some men in Tortuga. Now, what shall I read to ye now? How about Nassau? That one's actually true.' He turned the page of the book until he found the page he was looking for.

'Having fun?' Jack looked up at Elizabeth, who was standing in the doorway to the cabin, a smile on her face as she watched Jack and Rosie. 'You're really good with her, Jack.' She walked into the room and sat in the chair opposite Jack.

'She's a daddy's girl,' he grinned.

'What are you reading her?'

'I'm educating her in the adventures of a certain Captain Jack Sparrow,' he said, holding up the book. 'Though the publishers forgot my captaincy.' He stood up and lay Rosie down in the wooden cot beside the chair he had been sitting in.

'_Notable Pirates of the Last Century_,' she read from the cover of the book, her eyes lighting up. 'I used to have that book when I was a girl. It was my favourite. I lost it when I was twelve though, the day I left England to sail to Jamaica.'

'I inherited off a girl a few years ago,' Jack told her. 'She dropped it by accident and left before I could return it to her. Sweet little thing, she was.'

'The day I left for Jamaica,' she repeated, her eyes widening in realization. 'That was the day… Jack, let me see that book!' She snatched it out of his hand and flipped open the cover. 'I don't believe it.'

'What?' he asked, leaning across to see. On the inside cover of the book were the letters ES. He'd noticed it years ago when he first read the book, but didn't know what it meant. 'ES?'

'ES. Elizabeth Swann,' she explained. 'The day I left for England, I met a pirate captain. I spoke to him briefly, but I didn't know who it was. I overheard Father and James talking later. They mentioned something about it being Captain Jack Sparrow, my childhood hero. I was shocked that I might have met him. He was so nice, not like James always said pirates were. He told me that being a pirate was the best thing ever and that when I was older, I could come and find him and he'd…'

'…teach you how to be a real pirate,' finished Jack, remembering the day clearly. It was the day he'd landed in England on the rumrunner's ship, and he remembered meeting that girl in the alley. 'That girl, it was you?'

Elizabeth nodded. 'I was never sure if it was you. The alley was dark and I couldn't remember what you looked like. When we met again years later, you threatened me with a gun. You were so different to the man I remembered that I convinced myself it must have been someone else.'

'It was me,' said Jack. 'You sailed to Jamaica with Gibbs, didn't you? I saw him on the dock.'

'Yes.'

Something else clicked in Jack's brain, the reason why he'd gone all the way to England in the first place. His compass.

'It was pointing to you all along,' he breathed, the realization hitting him suddenly.

'I beg your pardon?'

'The compass. It was pointing to you, not Gibbs. I sailed to England because it was pointing that way, but when I got there, it was pointing to a group of people on the dock. You, a navy officer, who I suppose was Norrington, another man who I assumed was your father, and Gibbs. I knew that Gibbs was going to be in my crew in the future and so I thought the compass was pointing at him, but it wasn't. I was pointing at you. And all those years, it was pointing at Port Royal. That was you too.'

Jack remembered the time he'd gone into Port Royal and come out with just a bottle of rum. The compass had pointed to the house on the hill, Lizzie's house, then changed direction at the last minute.

'Your compass pointed at me?' she asked. 'But that was before we even met! Are you saying that it's destiny that we're together?'

'It's fate,' said Jack. 'Lizzie, there's something I need to tell you. It's going to sound ridiculous, but I promise it's the truth.'

Elizabeth looked worried, as Jack got up, laid Rosie down in her cot and sat back down in the large chair.

'Relax love,' he said. 'It's nothing bad. Years and years ago, before Barbossa mutinied, back when he was first mate, Beckett walked onto the Pearl and demanded that I gave him my compass. Naturally, I refused, and so he shot me.'

Elizabeth gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth. Jack pulled down the left side of his shirt to show her the faint scar in his shoulder where the bullet had hit him.

'Luckily, I tried to dodge it and he missed my heart,' continued Jack. 'But I lost a lot of blood and fell unconscious. While I was out, I had a dream, a kind of vision. I was standing on the deck of the Pearl and there was a man that I didn't recognise at the helm. I tried to tell him to get off my ship but he couldn't hear me, instead drinking out of a flask around his neck.'

'Gibbs,' she said.

'Aye,' confirmed Jack. 'Then me mum turned up, or at least her ghost did. She explained I was unconscious and that I was seeing the future.'

'The future? So that's how you knew Gibbs was going to be in your crew?'

'Well, she said it was just a possibility of the future, and that it would only come true if I didn't meddle with anything, but essentially, yes. And do you know what happened next?'

'What?'

'You walked onto the deck.'

'Me?' she asked incredulously.

'Obviously, I had no idea who you were. You were just an astonishingly beautiful woman who I tried to charm with my wonderful manners,' grinned Jack, and Elizabeth laughed. 'But you couldn't hear me either. Then I walked out of the cabin.'

'Weren't you already on the deck,' she said, confused.

'Sorry, I mean my future self walked out of the cabin,' he clarified. 'Now that was weird. Then I watched as future me kissed future you.' Elizabeth smirked. 'Gibbs demanded that we stopped doing it on deck, and so I asked him where Henry was.'

'Henry?' she asked. 'Who's… ?'

'Oi, wench,' he butted in playfully. 'I'm telling a story here. I went below deck to find this Henry, and then all of a sudden, the future me chased this little boy of about four or five up the stairs and onto the deck.'

'Our child,' she whispered. 'That's why you thought Rosie would be a boy, and why you were set on the name Henry.'

'He was amazing, love,' he told her. 'Just as amazing as Rosie is. He looked like you, your face and hair, but my eyes. And as soon as I saw him, I knew that I had to at least try to make it true. I never thought I'd get married and have a child, but when I saw that, I wanted it.'

'So your compass pointed to me because you wanted that vision to come true?' she asked. 'Wow, this is amazing.'

'It did sort of come true, didn't it?'

'But why is Rosie a girl? Surely she should have been a boy?'

'I've been wondering that myself, but I came up with a reason why,' Jack told her. 'Me mum told me that it would only be like that if I didn't meddle with fate, so I can only assume I did something to change it. Maybe if I hadn't been such an arsehole and chained you to the ship that time I told you I loved you, we would have been married sooner, and the baby would have been a boy.'

'There's another possibility,' Elizabeth said. 'Maybe Henry wasn't our first child. Maybe we had Rosie and then we had Henry, and you only saw Henry in this vision. Maybe if we had another child, it would be a boy and just like Henry.'

'Do ye want another child?' asked Jack.

'I have been thinking about it,' she said. 'Rosie's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and to think it could happen again. Do you?'

'I can't think of anything I'd rather do than have another baby,' he smiled.

'Easy enough for you to say. You don't have to give birth to the damn child!'

'If you don't want to…'

'No, actually, I'd love to,' Elizabeth smiled, getting to her feet and walking over to Jack, settling herself into his lap and draping her arms around his neck and grinding her hips into Jack's. The action forced a growl out between his lips and he rested his hands on her waist. 'How about we start right now?' she whispered seductively, biting his earlobe to elicit another deep moan from within his chest.

'Lizzie…' he started, but he was cut off as she pressed her mouth to his and forced her tongue into his mouth. He turned his head away, hoping to stop her long enough to get a proper sentence, but she just attacked his neck with little nips and bites. 'Lizzie, I really love what yer doing, but Rosie's in the room.' She ignored him and sucked on his neck, almost certainly leaving a mark. He reluctantly pushed her away and she pouted. 'We can't do this while Rosie's in the room,' he repeated.

'Damn!' Elizabeth muttered, before lightening up. 'Oh well, what have we got Gibbs for?' She stood up, picked her daughter up out of the cot. 'How about a couple of hours with Uncle Gibbs, darling?' Rosie made a gurgling noise which Elizabeth took as an affirmative. 'Say bye to Daddy.' She held Rosie out for Jack to kiss her forehead, and the baby made another snatch for Jack's beard.

'Bye Rosie,' he said to his daughter. 'Be good for Uncle Gibbs.'

Elizabeth disappeared for a couple of minutes and returned without their daughter, settling herself back into her husband's lap. 'He's delighted to look after her,' she murmured, her lips so close to Jack's that they were just touching.

'Great,' grinned Jack. 'Now back to the baby-making!'


	51. Tour

**51.**

Rosie was growing at an alarming rate. The little clothes she'd worn when she was first born no longer fit her, and they had made several trip to port to buy replacements. Jack enjoyed dressing her up in miniature versions of his own pirate clothes, but Elizabeth insisted that as a girl, she should wear dresses. As a result, they bought a mixture of the two, and it depended on which of them dressed her each morning as to whether Rosie was a pirate or a princess for the day.

One of their visits on land had taken them to Tortuga, and though they were both slightly reluctant to take their daughter out in the boisterous town, they waited until early in the morning when most people were asleep, taking Rosie to the Faithful Bride to visit Lucia. They had found her cleaning up the mess of the previous night, and she was ecstatic to see them and their daughter. She proclaimed that Rosie was the cutest baby she had ever seen and made them promise they would make her honorary aunt and visit her regularly so that she could watch Rosie grow up.

The crew were great with her, showing that beneath their fearsome exteriors, they were all kind-hearted underneath as they made her laugh and played with her. She was particularly popular with Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti, who were always keen to look after her when Jack and Elizabeth needed some time alone, or wanted to catch up on the sleep they missed because of Rosie keeping them up all night.

Surprisingly, Rosie's favourite part of the crew was Cotton's parrot, and the two of them struck up a strange sort of friendship. When Rosie was six months old, she learned to crawl, something which Jack and Elizabeth found frustrating as she was prone to crawling out of sight if they took their eyes off her, though she tended to use the skill to chase the parrot around the deck. The parrot seemed to enjoy their games as much as Rosie did, letting her get close enough to almost touch him, then flying off to the other side of the deck for her to chase him again.

It was a warm summer day in the Caribbean, and Jack took Rosie out onto the deck, leaving Elizabeth to sleep, having been up with Rosie in the night. Jack carried Rosie across the deck, her body between his left arm and the side of his chest as they looked out to sea together.

'Isn't it beautiful, Rose?' Jack asked his daughter, ruffling the dark locks on top of her head. Though her hair was dark brown, it wasn't as dark as Jack's and had gone much lighter from the sun, though it wasn't as light as her mother's hair either. 'Just like you. Just like Mummy. Just like the Pearl.'

Rosie made in unintelligible gurgling noise.

'Shall I give you a tour of the ship, darling?' Jack asked her. 'Would you like that? Yes? Okay. This side of the ship here is the starboard side.' He took her little arm in his hand and pointed it out to sea. 'And that side over there is the port side of the ship.' He pointed her chubby arm to the opposite side of the ship. 'Savvy?'

He walked up to the helm, where Gibbs was in control of the large wheel. Gibbs said hello to Jack, before grinning at Rosie and pulling silly faces at her, causing her to giggle loudly.

'That's enough, Mr Gibbs,' smiled Jack. 'Rosie's getting a tour of the ship from her daddy. This is the helm, Rose. We use this big wheel to steer the ship. When yer older, I'll teach ye how to do it. Yer going to love it. It's the best feeling in the world. Just ask yer mummy or yer Uncle Gibbs, they'll agree with me.'

'Aye, Rosie,' said Gibbs. 'It's incredible.'

Jack continued carrying Rosie around the deck of the ship. 'These are the masts. The Pearl has three of them. That one, the main mast, has the crow's nest at the top. When yer older, I'll take ye up there, but if I took ye up there now, yer mum would probably attack me privates with a knife. We had a date up there one time, but I messed it up. But at least we're together now, eh?'

Jack didn't take her below deck because it was dark, slippery and home to the crew, but he described every inch of the space down there to his daughter.

'…and we can't forget the rum store, can we?' he grinned. 'That's me favourite room on the ship, well, me second favourite, after the cabin, but yer too young to know why I love our cabin so much.'

'Jack!' called Elizabeth, walking out of the cabin and across the deck towards him. She smiled at him and kissed their daughters forehead. Rosie made an unintelligible noise and waved her chubby fists at Elizabeth.

'Morning, love,' said Jack, kissing his wife quickly on the lips. He wrinkled up his nose. 'You taste disgusting!'

'Thanks!' she said, raising her eyebrows.

'Sorry,' he grinned sheepishly.

'It's okay,' Elizabeth replied. 'I've been sick this morning. That probably explains the taste.'

'Are you okay?' asked Jack, worriedly.

'I'm fine,' said Elizabeth. 'Great, actually. This is the fourth morning in a row that I've been sick. I think I might be pregnant.' Jack gaped at her. Though they'd been through all of this before when Elizabeth had been pregnant with Rosie, it was still a shock, and Jack felt the same wonder as the first time when he realized that a new life was growing inside her. 'This is it. This one will be Henry.'

'What if it's a girl again?' asked Jack. After the teasing Elizabeth had given him after Rosie's birth, he didn't want to predict the gender and have the same happen again.

'Then we'll pick another nice girl's name,' said Elizabeth promptly. 'But this baby inside me feels like a boy. It feels like our Henry Jack Sparrow.'

'Henry Jack?' asked Jack, surprised.

'If you don't want to name your son after yourself, we'll pick another name,' she grinned mischievously. 'I mean, Henry Hector Sparrow is just as lovely…'

'No,' said Jack firmly. 'I will not have my boy names after that bastard of a pirate, savvy?'

'Savvy.'

Jack's mouth fell open. The word hadn't come from his wife, but instead from the little girl supported in his left arm, her chubby fists tugging at his braided hair. Jack stared at her and she tilted her head to the side curiously, her own brown eyes identical to Jack's.

'Jack, did Rosie just say that?' asked Elizabeth.

'What did you just say Rosie?' asked Jack, trying to remove his daughter hands from in his hair. 'Did you just say 'savvy'? Are you growing up to be a proper pirate?' Rosie remained silent, but continued to pull on Jack's hair. 'Rosie, stop pulling on me hair, savvy?'

'Savvy,' said Rosie, but she continued to pull on his hair.

Jack beamed at Elizabeth. 'Our little girl is talking, Lizzie! She's growing up!'

Though Elizabeth couldn't help but smile, she sighed. 'Why did it have to be a pirate word?'

Jack laughed.

_I can see the end of this story coming! :( I think there are four chapters and an epilogue left, and then it'll all be over. I can't believe it's come this far!_


	52. Grandfather

_Sorry that I'm rubbish at updating. I have so much work on at the moment, and trying to share my time between two stories means I don't update very often. But I'm going to try and concentrate mostly on this one now, so that I can finish it in the next couple of weeks. Thanks to those who review! :D_

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><p><strong>52. Grandfather<strong>

The months passed, with both Rosie and Elizabeth's belly growing at a great rate. Rosie's vocabulary developed, learning her own name, as well as 'Mummy' and 'Dada'. Jack was enthusiastic to encourage Rosie to speak more words, but he was scolded by Elizabeth when she caught him trying to teach her words like 'scallywag', 'bilge-rat' and 'rum'. Instead he sung her pirate songs, which she tried to join in with, shouting out random words and noises.

One month before their second child was due to be born, they made port in Tortuga and took a room in the Faithful Bride, after Jack's insistence that they were going to be on land for the birth this time. Lucia was eager to see Rosie, playing with her when she wasn't on shifts, as well as keeping Elizabeth company while Jack did business around the town during the day. Jack gave his crew the time off until after the baby was born, asking only that Mr Gibbs supervised a rota for watching the ship. Though Jack was fairly certain nobody would try anything, he couldn't guarantee that Barbossa wouldn't turn up and try to make off with his beloved ship.

It was a blustery February morning when Elizabeth finally went into labour, and Jack was relieved that this time there was a midwife in the town to tend to her. Elizabeth asked Jack to be there during the birth, and having been through the ordeal once, he tried his hardest to be sympathetic towards her. Though she shouted at him a couple of times for getting her into this mess, he remained supportive and they managed to get through the whole birth without any death threats at all.

Elizabeth was right. The baby was a boy, and no sooner than the midwife had told them both this, had they declared that his name was to be Henry Jack Sparrow. He was bigger than Rosie had been as a baby, probably because she'd been born earlier than expected, but he was no less adorable, with a tiny amount of fair hair on the top of his head, inherited from his mother.

Lucia, who had looked after Rosie while Elizabeth was giving birth, brought the one year-old up to visit her newborn brother, and left the little family alone in their room. Jack sat beside Elizabeth, Rosie perched on his knee as she looked curiously down at her brother.

'Look at the little baby, Rosie,' Jack whispered in her ear.

'Baby,' said Rosie, though she pronounced it 'babby'.

'Yes, that's right,' smiled Jack. 'He's your brother. He's called Henry.'

'Henny,' repeated Rosie.

'Thank you Jack,' said Elizabeth, leaning her head on his shoulder.

'For what?'

'You've given me these two adorable children,' she replied. 'I keep thinking what would have happened if I hadn't fallen off the fort. I would never have met you, and Rosie and Henry wouldn't be here.'

'We would have met somehow,' said Jack, squeezing her hand. 'I know we would have. I saw the future remember. We were destined to be like this.'

'I'd like to think so,' smiled Elizabeth. 'Rosie, don't!' The little girl had tried snatching at her brother's ankle, and Jack pulled her away gently. 'He's only a baby. We don't want to hurt him.'

'Do you want to hold Henry?' Jack asked his daughter.

'Jack, she'll hurt him,' warned Elizabeth.

'We'll be careful,' he reassured her. Jack moved slightly and placed Rosie between them on the bed, then encouraged Elizabeth to lay the little sleeping bundle in Rosie's arms. Jack showed her how to hold him, supporting Henry's head himself until he was certain that his son was safe, then her let go. Rosie looked down at Henry curiously, as if wondering what he was, then she looked up at Jack, a big smile on her face.

'Henny baby!' she exclaimed.

'That's right!' said Jack, kissing his daughter's forehead.

* * *

><p>Two weeks after Henry's birth, Jack rounded up his crew and they left Tortuga, heading towards Shipwreck Cove. It had been almost two years since Jack had visited his father, the last time being shortly after he married Elizabeth, but he decided that his children had a right to meet their grandfather, and he hoped that perhaps this meeting would go better than previous ones, as Jack had something to be proud of that his father might be happy about.<p>

The four of them stepped off the ship, Henry asleep in Elizabeth's arms, Rosie toddling along beside Jack, holding his hand. The pirates that they passed on the way to Teague's quarters nodded their heads in greeting to Jack, smiling at his new family. A couple of them stopped to say their hellos, surprising Jack that people who were normally such burly manly pirates, could show compassion towards Jack's children.

Jack nervously pushed open the door to his father's rooms, remembering the last meeting with his father. He smiled, remembering that Teague had wondered if Jack would be bringing him grandchildren on his next visit and that he had thought there was no possibility of that happening, yet here they were.

'Dad?' he called into the dark room, leading Rosie in.

Teague stepped out of the shadows, his eyes falling first on Jack, then Rosie, then Elizabeth and the baby in her arms.

'You have been busy, haven't you Jackie?' asked Teague. Jack stood there awkwardly, unsure how he was supposed to reply to that. 'Congratulations, both of you.' Jack gaped at his father, surprised at the compliment. 'Take a seat,' said Teague, nodding to the chairs in the corner. They did as they were asked, Jack pulling Rosie onto his lap.

'So, grandchildren, eh?' asked Teague, pouring three glasses of rum, and a small cup of water for Rosie. He gave it to her with a gentle smile, and Rosie cocked her head, gazing at him.

'This is Rosie,' said Jack, introducing his daughter. 'And Lizzie's holding our son, Henry. He was born a couple of weeks ago. Rosie, say hello to your granddad.'

Jack took the drink off his daughter as she slid off his lap, toddling over to where Teague sat opposite them. She stood beside the chair, leaning her arms on his legs to hold her up as she stood.

'Hello, Rosie,' smiled Teague, shocking Jack again. He had never known that his father was capable of any emotion at all, let alone able to cope with a one year-old child. 'I'm Captain Teague, your granddad, but you can call me what you want.

'Granda,' said Rosie softly.

'Yes, that's right.' He pulled Rosie up onto his lap and sat her on his knee. 'Do you want me to tell you a story?'

'Storytime!' shouted Rosie excitedly, and Jack grinned. She loved Jack telling her stories so much, but he normally only told her them at bedtime, so she was clearly taking a liking to the man who was willing to tell her stories at all times of the day.

'Okay then,' smiled Teague. He proceeded to tell her the story of the meeting of the Brethren Court just before the Battle of the Maelstrom and how Elizabeth had been elected King. He then went on to tell her about the battle itself, though by the time he'd got to the defeat of Davy Jones, she'd fallen asleep against his chest.

'Her sleeping pattern will get all messed up,' moaned Jack.

'Ye can stay here for as long as you want,' said Teague. 'If she's up in the middle of the night, I'll look after her.'

'What's wrong with ye?' asked Jack, surprised at his father's uncharacteristically nice behaviour

'I'm proud of ye, Jack,' smiled Teague. 'I never thought you'd settle down, but I can see it's changed you. And these two beautiful grandchildren you've brought me, they're more than any old pirate like me could ever dream of.'

Jack smiled to himself. For the first time in his life he'd made his father proud of him. And more than that, he was as happy as he'd ever been. His life was good.


	53. Travelling

_Sorry that this took a while! I went away for a week and then it took quite a bit of researching! Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>53. Travelling<strong>

'Lizzie,' said Jack as they lay in bed one morning. Henry lay in a cot in the corner and Rosie was asleep between them on the bed. 'I've been thinking about something.'

'Should I be worried?' teased Elizabeth.

'Perhaps,' frowned Jack. 'Ye know how we're pirates?'

'I had noticed,' grinned Elizabeth, and Jack slapped her arm playfully.

'Well pirates stand for freedom and doing what we want,' explained Jack. 'Like when I told ye that on the rumrunner's island that the Pearl wasn't a ship, she was freedom to go wherever we want to go. I was thinking, and ever since we became a family, we've been a bit too conventional, or at least about as conventional as a family living on a pirate ship can be.'

'If you're going to suggest we declare war on another Pirate Lord or that we try and take over Brazil, or something equally as idiotic, then the answer's no,' said Elizabeth.

'Ye know me, love. Idiocy and me don't go together.' Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at him. 'Okay, maybe we do occasionally, but this isn't a stupid idea at all.'

'Go on then, tell me,' said Elizabeth, wincing as if expecting a ridiculous suggestion.

'Why don't we travel around the world?'

Elizabeth stared at him, her face showing no emotion. Jack wondered if she'd even heard him.

'I said, why don't we sail around…'

'I heard you,' interrupted Elizabeth. 'I'm just processing the idea.' Jack was glad that the answer wasn't just an outright no, because at least there was some room for persuasion. 'How long will it take?'

'I don't know, love,' replied Jack. 'A year, maybe two? Depends on the weather and where we stop. We might decide to spend a couple of months somewhere exotic.'

'Spend a couple of months somewhere exotic?' she asked, surprised. 'I thought you said we were sailing around the world, not moving to another country.'

'We're not just going to spend a year on a ship,' said Jack, laughing. 'We'll stop off at all of the interesting places. The rainforests in Brazil, the little villages in Africa, the markets in India.'

'India?' asked Elizabeth, her face showing awe.

'I've heard that you can ride the elephants there,' said Jack, turning into persuasive mode. 'That'd be an experience and a half for the kids.'

'Riding the elephants? Wow, Jack. This is an amazing idea!'

Jack grinned. He knew that his charm would win her over eventually. 'Excellent, love. Perhaps we could even make a stop in England if you want. Now, where shall we go first?'

'I want to visit England last,' said Elizabeth firmly. 'When Rosie and Henry are a bit older so that they might appreciate their heritage a bit more.'

'Excellent,' said Jack, jumping out of bed and pulling a shirt on. We'll change courses for Brazil straight away. How about a little trip along the coast of South America, stopping at some of the little ports?'

'Sounds great,' smiled Elizabeth, pulling Rosie in close to her as Jack left the cabin.

* * *

><p>They did exactly that. The first few months were spent slowly making their way south. They dropped anchor in a port in Brazil, and an ex-pirate that Jack was acquainted with took Jack, Elizabeth, Rosie and Henry through the rainforest on a little cart pulled by two mules. When they reached a little tribal village, they spent three weeks there, making friends with the tribe and learning how to build their own hut out of the abundance of wood available around them. There were a few children in the tribe, a couple of years older than Rosie, but they took her under their wing and played with her. The only bad thing that happened was when Jack got bitten by a snake while out hunting with the men, causing his foot to swell up to twice it's normal size, though after some unusual medical treatment that Jack would quite happily never go through again, his foot was back to normal and they went back to their ship, saying goodbye to their new friends.<p>

Once they'd made their way down to the bottom of South America, stopping briefly at a port near the bottom of Chile to stock up with plenty of food and supplies, they began the long journey back up the other side of South America. They made fewer stops, wanting to get up to the north so that they could cross the Pacific and explore Eastern Asia.

It was winter by the time they finally found themselves in Shanghai in China, having briefly stopped in both Japan and Korea. They hadn't wanted to miss out on Shanghai, but as it was one of the main trading towns and one of the biggest ports in the world, they'd made an effort to make the Pearl look less like a pirate ship and more like a trading ship. Jack had discovered that this had other benefits too, as after he posed as a rum trader, he managed to bargain his way into a discount on six huge crates of rum, enough to last the ship for months on end.

They took the children out into the bustling port, buying them each a little Chinese outfit, complete with a traditional conical straw hat. Jack refused to buy himself an outfit, telling Elizabeth that it wasn't masculine enough and that a proper pirate wouldn't wear such a silly costume, but Elizabeth bought herself an elaborately embroidered silk dress as a reminder of her title as Pirate Lord of Singapore.

They decided to make Singapore their next main stop, and though they avoided the pirate ports because they were closely watched by the law, they decided that the children needed to see the place that their mother was Pirate Lord of. They spent Henry's first birthday there, visiting a little inn for a special meal to celebrate.

Elizabeth was adamant that they should stop in India. She said that as a child, she'd been almost as fascinated by it as she had been with pirates, and continuously reminded Jack that he'd promised to take them on an elephant ride. Jack decided to let Gibb sail the ship around the bottom of India, while Jack, Elizabeth, the children, and two of the crew would travel across India, hopefully all arriving in Mumbai at around the same time.

They managed to travel across the country using a combination of small carts pulled by mules, rickety old railway lines, and at one point, much to Elizabeth's delight, elephants. Jack had to do a lot of persuasion to persuade the native to let two small children on the elephants, but they managed to rig up some little harnesses, and Rosie rode with Elizabeth and Henry with Jack. Henry found their newfound method of transport very amusing, learning the new word 'Nellie', to add to his small, yet rapidly expanding vocabulary.

They eventually reached Mumbai, where Gibbs and the Pearl were waiting for them, and after a brief bit of shopping in the Mumbai market, where Elizabeth found an enormous hat with brightly coloured feather pluming out of it that she decided to buy as her new captain's hat, they got back on their ship and sailed towards the Middle East and the north-west of Africa. Having decided that it would be tiresome and too long to sail all the way around Africa, past the Cape of Good Hope, they decided to head north up through the Red Sea. Jack had heard from a man in India that there were people who pulled ships across Suez on a huge camel drawn cart, and decided to test it out. Surely enough, when arriving in Suez, they found someone willing to tow their ship for a small fee, and Jack paid them with some money he'd looted in Egypt.

The journey up towards the Mediterranean took two months, by which time it was almost winter again, Rosie's third birthday having passed. They sailed to Greece, with the intention of visiting the ancient sites in Athens. They looked around the little markets, before going to see the Temple of Zeus and going to the Acropolis to visit the Parthenon. Elizabeth bought a children's book of Greek myths to read to Rosie and Henry, which they both seemed to enjoy immensely as bedtime stories.

Next came Italy, and under Elizabeth's insistence, they sailed up to Venice to see the Vatican, before sailing back around, stopping at Naples and Rome. Elizabeth was eager to see Florence as well, but they both agreed to give it a miss as it was too far inland.

As they drew towards the end of their second year travelling, the journey having been made much longer than Jack expected because they had travelled across India by land transport instead of sailing around it, they sailed across the Mediterranean past the South of France, where they got caught up in a skirmish between Capitaine Chevalle and Villanueva, who were at loggerheads once more, and round the southern parts of Spain. When they reached the west parts of Portugal, they changed their course for due north, hoping to make port in Plymouth in three weeks.

Upon arrival in England, Elizabeth disguised Jack as a sailor, which he was most displeased about, hiding his dreadlocks under a sailor's hat and wiping the kohl from under his eyes. They dressed Rosie and Henry up in normal clothes and travelled in a horse-drawn carriage to Elizabeth's aunt's house in Cornwall. Her aunt and her cousins were thrilled to see them, having not seen Elizabeth since she was twelve. They were glad that she'd settled down and married what they called 'a respectable man of the sea', happy that Elizabeth had seemingly got over her silly childhood obsession with pirates, to which Jack tried very hard not to snort into the cup of tea he was drinking. Elizabeth decided that a week in her aunt's company was more than enough, and they made their way back down to Plymouth, ready to make the journey across the Atlantic back towards the Caribbean.


	54. Another Mutiny

**54. Another Mutiny**

'Daddy!' yelled Rosie, running towards Jack. Jack swept her into his arms.

'You're getting heavy, Rosie,' he said, kissing her on the cheek.

'Ugh, kissing is for wimps,' said Rosie, screwing up her face. 'I'm a real pirate.'

'Daddy isn't a wimp!' said Jack. 'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, the most fearsome pirate on the seven seas!'

'I'm not scared of you!'

'Well ye should be,' replied Jack, and Rosie giggled and squealed as Jack swung her around and tickled her.

'Jack, stop messing around before you throw her overboard,' said Elizabeth emerging from the cabin. 'Henry's asleep.'

Jack put Rosie down and she ran over to Elizabeth, who bent down to allow Rosie to whisper into her ear. Jack couldn't hear what was said, but both of them smiled and Rosie began to laugh mischievously.

'What?' asked Jack, wondering what they were plotting.

'Nothing,' said Elizabeth, walking up to Jack. 'You look remarkably handsome today, Captain.' She emphasized the 'captain' and winked at Rosie, causing the four year-old to start giggling once more.

'Okay, what do ye want?' sighed Jack.

'Nothing, I just thought I should let you know how much I love you,' Elizabeth replied, leaning towards him and kissing him. Jack responded to her lips on his and wrapped his arms around her body, not caring that they were standing in the middle of the deck, or that their four year-old daughter was watching. Elizabeth took control of the kiss and pushed Jack against the mast to kiss him further. Jack had a vague memory of her doing the same once before, just before he'd been swallowed by the Kraken, but before he could acknowledge what this meant, he heard the familiar click around his wrist.

Elizabeth pulled away, smirking. She walked over to Rosie and high fived her.

'You little…'

'Jack, not in front of Rosie!'

Jack tugged at the chain around his wrist, but he knew it was no good.

'I knew I should have got rid of these things years ago,' said Jack.

Rosie drew her wooden sword out of her belt and pointed it at Jack. 'Your compass or your life, Mr Sparrow,' she said, though Jack found it hard to be threatened by a four year-old with a wooden sword, big brown eyes and a cute grin on her face.

'It's Captain Sparrow,' he reminded her.

'Not anymore it's not,' grinned Elizabeth.

'I beg yer pardon?'

'Mutiny,' said Rosie, triumphantly. 'Savvy?' She threw her father's favourite word back in his face with an irresistibly cute smirk.

'What?'

'We've mutinied against you, Jack,' said Elizabeth. 'Rosie's captain now. She agreed to make me first mate if I found a way to tie you up.'

'Ye can't let a four year-old run a ship! Next thing I know, ye'll be telling me Henry's taken up drinking rum!' exclaimed Jack.

'No, he didn't like it,' said Rosie, matter-of-factly. 'I did though.'

Rosie snatched the compass from Jack's belt and ran up to the helm. It took Jack a moment to process the fact that both of his infant children had been drinking rum, and that the eldest had actually enjoyed it.

'Rosie Sparrow, get back here now!'

'It's Captain Rosie Sparrow, actually Daddy!' she said in a perfect imitation of Jack. He couldn't help but smile at Elizabeth.

'That's me girl,' he muttered.

'Don't worry,' said Elizabeth softly as she approached Jack. 'If you're lucky I might set you free later and we can mutiny back against her. I think I'd miss sharing the captain's bed with you.'

'As if I'd take ye back into my bed after this!' snorted Jack.

Meanwhile, Rosie had decided to hold Gibbs at the point of her sword and was directing him towards the mast by little prods in the back of his legs. Gibbs let her chain him to the mast too.

'Come on Rosie, ye can't chain the whole crew to the mast!' protested Jack. 'What if we were to come under attack?'

'Only you and Uncle Gibbs are being tied up,' said Rosie.

'I suppose we should be grateful there's no Kraken to swallow us up this time, eh?' Jack said to Gibbs.

'What's Kraken?'

'The Kraken is a terrible sea monster,' said Gibbs. 'It's the most enormous, ugly creature with foul-smelling breath…'

'Like Daddy?' giggled Rosie.

'Just like Daddy,' said Elizabeth. 'Only bigger, scarier and with tentacles.'

'Now I'm captain, can I make people walk the plank?' asked Rosie.

'Depends who,' replied Elizabeth.

'Henry!'

'No, but I think we can make Daddy walk the plank.'

'You wouldn't dare,' said Jack.

'I would if it was what my captain ordered me to do,' smirked Elizabeth, saluting at Rosie. 'Captain Rosie, what are my orders?'

'Untie Daddy and make him walk the plank,' said Rosie bossily.

'Daddy's too clever for Captain Rosie,' said Jack, holding up the wrist with the handcuff around it to show it was no longer attached to the mast. He'd used his knife to hack away at the wood around the nail holding it in place and it had come free, though the two other handcuffs attached to the mast with the same nail were also dangling from his wrist.

'Walk the plank, you scallywag!' Rosie bellowed at the top of her lungs.

'Have you noticed where we are, Jack?' asked Elizabeth, nodding out to sea. There on the horizon was a small island, a very trees littered around on it. Though Jack had only visited the island twice, he would never ever mistake it for another, particularly after the fond memories he had of his second stay there.

'We're back in the Caribbean?' he asked.

'It seems so,' smiled Elizabeth. 'And I'm sure you wouldn't mind being marooned on that island for a third time.'

'Lizzie,' said Jack, taking Elizabeth's hand and faking sincerity. 'Ye can't maroon me. I love ye.'

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. 'I'm only following the captain's orders Jack.'

'Silly wench,' he growled, clipping one of the other handcuffs dangling loosely from his wrist around Elizabeth's wrist and grinning at her.

'You complete bastard, Jack Sparrow!'

'Not in front of Rosie, love,' he said cheekily, scolding her for something she often told him off about. 'Now, how about that plank walk?'

'Don't you dare!' she shrieked, as Jack lifted Elizabeth over his shoulder and walked to the very edge of the plank. 'Jack, put me down this instant! That water's going to be freezing!'

'Relax, love. You were the one trying to maroon me. Just think of it as a memory jogger for the last night we spent on the island.'

'You can't, Jack!'

'I can, and I will! On three. One, two, THREE!' Jack threw himself off the plank, keeping Elizabeth in his arms, wincing as her scream pierced his ears. It was muffled as they landed in the freezing sea with a loud splash. Jack kicked upwards strongly and pushed Elizabeth up to the surface, where they both emerged, spluttering.

'How are we supposed to swim with our hands chained together?' asked Elizabeth.

'You underestimate me, darling.' He pulled her onto his back and began a powerful breastroke kick towards the island, using his unchained hand to help. They reached the beach and walked up out of the water, their clothes dripping.

'I hate you Jack,' said Elizabeth, though Jack knew she was only joking. 'You do realize that we've left a four year-old in charge of your beloved ship and that the only really trustworthy person still on that ship is currently chained to the mast. What if the ship crashes into some rocks or something? Or even worse, what if Rosie slips and falls overboard?'

'Pintel and Ragetti were on the deck when we jumped off,' Jack reassured her. 'I'm sure Gibbs will have had the sense to tell them that they keys for the chains are in the top drawer of my desk in our cabin.'

'Are you sure they'll be alright?' asked Elizabeth.

'Love, they'll be fine.'

'Jack, why did you jump off the Pearl? Now we're sat on an island, and they're going to have to send out a longboat to fetch us.'

'Lizzie, we're going to have a romantic night on this beach,' smiled Jack. 'We'll make a fire, find some food growing on the island and see if there's any rum left.'

'I burned all the rum last time.'

'I'm sure there's some left somewhere.'

By the time the two of them had built a little fire and foraged for some exotic fruits, Jack explaining to Elizabeth which ones were safe to eat and which ones weren't, darkness had fallen over the island. To their relief, Gibbs had been freed by the other crew members and rowed over to rescue them, but they asked him to return in the morning so that they could have their romantic night together. The Pearl dropped anchor on the horizon, looking even more beautiful in the dark with all of the lanterns lit up on deck.

The pair of them ate their meal, laughing and just enjoying each other's company without the children around. Jack had found a few bottles of rum lying around the island that had enough still left in the bottle to make it worth drinking, which they drunk between them. After dinner, they doused the fire and made love in the sand, cherishing the moment alone.

'You know that space below deck that you slept in when you first joined me crew after Will left on the Dutchman?' asked Jack, as they snuggled in each other's arms. 'We should build a whole room there, maybe even two small ones if it's big enough, for Rosie and Henry to sleep in. The cabin isn't big enough for four of us, especially not now they're both getting so big.'

'It's a great idea,' replied Elizabeth. 'I was going to suggest we found somewhere else for those two to sleep. We certainly can't fit five of us in the cabin.'

'Five of us?' asked Jack, confused. 'Who's the fif…? Love, are you … are you pregnant again?'

'Do you remember how I ran out of my herbs that stop me getting pregnant on the way up to Plymouth from Portugal?' asked Elizabeth. 'I think it must have happened then.'

'In that case, we'd better get converting one end of the food store into bedrooms for our children. All three of them.' Jack grinned at Elizabeth and kissed her on the lips, rolling her onto her back and lying over her. 'Maybe then we'll get more privacy.' Elizabeth just giggled.

* * *

><p><em>Just one chapter and an epilogue left! Can't wait to finally finish, but I'm going to miss writing it. Hopefully I'll be done by next Tuesday of Wednesday. The epilogue's almost finished and I've written about half of the next chapter already! :)<em>


	55. The Future

_Final chapter :)_

* * *

><p><strong>55. The Future<strong>

Three months later, Jack and Elizabeth were lying in their bed, both naked. Elizabeth was going through the stage of her pregnancy where she wanted Jack at every hour of the day, and Jack certainly wasn't complaining.

'We should get up,' said Elizabeth, climbing out of bed. Jack grunted sleepily and rolled over into the warm space she'd left behind, sighing contentedly at Elizabeth's scent, which lingered on the sheets. He heard Elizabeth get dressed, but he stayed in bed. 'Jack, I'm going outside. Are you staying in bed all day?'

Jack climbed out of bed just as he heard the cabin door slam behind her, and he hurriedly dressed into his white shirt and dark brown breeches, wanting at least another kiss before they started the day's work. He pulled on his long coat over his shirt and breeches and slipped his feet into his worn boots before putting his tricorne hat on his head and following Elizabeth out of the cabin. She was leaning against the rail on the left side of the ship, looking out to sea, her pregnant stomach making her look even more attractive in Jack's opinion.

'Oi, Lizzie! Where'd ye go?' he called across the deck.

Elizabeth turned around and smiled as Jack approached her. He put his hands on her waist and leaned down to kiss her. Her arms wrapped around his back as she kissed him back, though he couldn't pull her as close as he would like because of the bulge in her stomach getting in the way.

'Do you two have to do that on deck?' yelled Gibbs' voice from the wheel. 'Ye have yer cabin fer that!'

Jack and Elizabeth giggled as they broke apart, and Jack turned towards Gibbs, having a strange feeling of déjà vu as he strode towards his first mate at the helm.

'Ah, Mr Gibbs,' he said.

'Yes, cap'n?'

'Would ye happen to know where Rosie and Henry are right now?'

'No, I wouldn't,' replied Mr Gibbs.

'And why not?' asked Jack. 'Did I or did I not ask you to entertain them while me and Lizzie were … um … busy?'

'Yes ye did cap'n, but I believe the whole point of playin' hide an' seek is that ye don't know where the other person's hiding,' replied Mr Gibbs, and Jack realized why this all felt so familiar. This was exactly the same conversation that he'd seen his future self have, with Mr Gibbs. In fact, the whole situation was the same, with the exception that they had two children and a third was on the way, instead of just Henry. 'Last I saw, they were runnin' below deck with Pintel an' Ragetti.'

'Thank ye, Mr Gibbs,' said Jack, and he turned and stared at the mast, where he knew he'd been standing when he'd seen this scene before from the side. He wondered if his past self was standing there invisible, watching, and smirked, before looking away again.

Jack walked down the stairs below deck and walked across the crew's quarters to the hammock where a small lump wriggled beneath a blanket. He peeled back the blanket to find Rosie lying there, a smile on her chubby face, which fell as soon as she saw her father.

'Daddy!' she whispered loudly. 'Go away! Uncle Pintel and Uncle Ragetti will come looking for me soon!'

'Where's Henry?'

Rosie rolled her eyes. 'Duh! This is hide and seek! You have to find him.'

'Miss Rosie?' called Pintel's voice from the stairs coming up from the floor below. Jack hurriedly pulled the blanket back over his daughter and stood innocently by the hammock. 'Morning cap'n! Ye seen either of yer kids today?'

'No,' said Jack, feigning innocence. 'Don't tell me ye've lost them again.'

He turned slightly towards the hammock and saw Rosie's face poking out from the top of the blanket. He winked and Rosie let out a little giggle from under the blanket. Pintel's face changed from one of confusion to one of realization. He walked over to the hammock and pulled back the covers.

'Gotcha, Miss Rosie!' he shouted triumphantly and she giggled, jumping off the hammock. 'Now, where's Master Henry?'

'Got him!' came Ragetti's voice from below, and more giggling was heard, followed by the patter of hurried footsteps.

Henry appeared by the stairs and he shouted across at Rosie. 'Come on Rosie! Uncle Ragetti's chasing me!'

Jack grinned at his son and ran across to the stairs, yelling animalistically and chased him back up to the deck, Rosie just behind him. 'Henry Sparrow, where have ye got to?' he asked, spotting his son in Elizabeth's arms by the railing. Rosie overtook him and clung to her mother's leg.

'Should you be picking him up in your condition?' he asked her.

'I'm fine,' she said. 'Why are you grinning like a lunatic?'

'This is it, Lizzie!' Jack replied excitedly. 'This is the scene I saw in the future. Obviously with an extra child and another one on the way, but I did it! I changed fate, but I'm so glad that I did!'

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading! Stick around for the epilogue. It's not particularly important, but I decided I needed to tie up one more loose end.<em>


	56. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Jack walked hand in hand with Elizabeth down to the beach, their three children chasing each other as they went. It was nearly sunset, and the sky was a beautiful orange colour.

'Jack, what if he hates me?'

'He won't hate you,' Jack reassured her. 'If he wants to blame someone, he can blame me. And if he does anything to hurt ye, he'll have me to answer to. I'm quite scary when I'm angry! And I've beaten him in a fight before too.'

'By cheating.'

'By using me initiative.'

'Daddy! Mummy!' yelled Toby, their youngest child at four years old. 'Quick! You'll miss it!' Neither of them had the heart to tell him that they'd seen the green flash before. He was too excited.

The family stood on the beach, huddled together watching the sun set. Jack lifted Toby up into his arms and Elizabeth held the other two children close to her. Just as the top of the sun disappeared over the horizon, as brilliant flash of green light shot up into the sky.

'Wow,' said Toby.

'Look there it is!' said Henry.

Jack looked across at Elizabeth and they exchanged a smile. They watched as the Flying Dutchman sailed closer, then a longboat was lowered into the water allowing Will to travel ashore alone. He rowed to the beach and stepped out of the longboat. Elizabeth ran over to him and pulled him into a hug, before breaking away from him and leading him over to Jack and their three children. Jack looked at his feet awkwardly.

'Jack,' said Will.

'Captain Turner.'

'And these must be your children,' said Will, gesturing to the three children who had gone unusually quiet, probably due to shyness.

'This is Rosie,' said Elizabeth, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. 'She's nearly nine. Henry's seven and Tobias is four. Children, this is your Uncle Will.'

Rosie smiled at him, Henry looked up at him in awe and Toby shyly buried his face in Jack's hair.

'You're not angry?' asked Jack. 'You don't even seem surprised.'

'When I found out Elizabeth was on the Pearl, I knew you'd either fall in love or end up killing each other,' said Will. 'And as I haven't had to take either of you to the next world on the Dutchman, I assumed it was the former. I will admit the children are a surprise. I didn't have you down as the fatherly type, Jack.'

'People change.'

'Uncle Will, is it true you have no heart?' asked Henry, suddenly. He had always been a bit blunt at asking questions.

'My heart isn't inside my body,' said Will.

'Shouldn't you be dead?' asked Rosie.

'I can't die,' answered Will. 'The only way to kill me is to stab my heart, but then the person who kills me has to take my place on the Flying Dutchman.'

'How come you became captain of the Flying Dutchman?' asked Henry.

'It's a long story,' said Will.

'Well tell us anyway,' he demanded.

'Tell us, what?' Elizabeth nagged him.

'Tell us, _please_.' Henry rolled his eyes.

They all sat down on the sand in a small circle to hear the story.

'Once upon a time, there was an honest and hard-working blacksmith who lived in the town of Port Royal in Jamaica,' said Will. 'In that town, there was a big house on the hill, and in that house lived the governor and his beautiful daughter. The blacksmith had fallen in love with the governor's daughter, but society would not allow them to be together.'

'Who's society?' asked Toby.

'It means that people would frown on them if they married,' explained Rosie.

'One day, there was a big event up at the fort, and during this event, a commodore proposed to the governor's daughter. But before she could answer, she fainted and fell into the sea below. Fortunately, there was a pirate down on the dock…'

'A pirate captain,' interjected Jack. 'Who might I add, was very handsome, witty and heroic.'

'Yeah, one of those,' said Will, dismissing Jack with a wave of his hand. 'The pirate saved the governor's daughter from drowning. But because he was a pirate and had committed many crimes in the past, he was arrested and sentenced to be hanged.'

'But that's just ridiculous!' argued Rosie. 'He saved the woman's life. That should cancel out any bad things he'd done.'

'One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness,' said Jack bitterly. 'That's what the commodore said.'

'So was he hung?' asked Henry.

'Well, he escaped,' said Will. 'He hid in the blacksmith's workshop and they had a swordfight. The two were evenly matched, until the pirate pulled out a pistol.'

'He's a pirate,' said Henry. 'He's allowed to cheat.'

'That's me boy,' said Jack, ruffling Henry's hair.

'Unfortunately, the pirate was knocked out by a drunkard and carted off to prison,' said Will.

'Knocked out by a drunkard?' laughed Elizabeth. 'Why was I not told this part of the story before?'

'You do the next bit, Lizzie,' said Jack, ignoring her comment.

'Okay,' she said. 'That night, the town was attacked by the Black Pearl.'

'That's Daddy's ship!' yelled Toby.

'It wasn't then,' said Jack. 'The stupid bastard stole it off me.'

'Jack, mind your language in front of the kids!' said Elizabeth.

'I already know the word bastard,' said Toby. 'Henry calls me it.'

'I do not!'

'Yes you do!'

'Rosie calls me it!' yelled Henry defensively.

Rosie turned red. 'Dad uses it!'

'Get on with the story, love,' said Jack.

'Where was I? Oh yes, the Pearl. The crew kidnapped the governor's daughter because she owned a medallion that would lift a curse upon them.'

'What happened to the pirate?' asked Henry.

'The blacksmith helped him escape from prison and they commandeered a ship, picked up a crew in Tortuga and sailed after the Pearl to the Isla de Muerta,' said Jack.

'When they got there, the captain of the Pearl was about to lift the curse, by a blood payment from the governor's daughter,' said Elizabeth. 'But it didn't work. Unknown to them, she had stolen the medallion off the blacksmith when they were younger, so they actually needed his blood. The blacksmith rescued her, and they escaped, but the pirate was caught by the crew of the Pearl.'

'He's a rubbish pirate,' moaned Henry. 'He keeps getting caught.'

'Ah, but he keeps escaping, doesn't he?' said Jack. 'That's what makes him such a good pirate.'

'Soon the Pearl caught up with the Interceptor and they blew the ship apart, taking everyone on board hostage,' said Elizabeth. 'They kept the blacksmith, because they needed his blood, but they marooned the pirate and the governor's daughter on an island.'

'How did they escape?' asked Rosie.

'Sea turtles!' shouted Toby excitedly.

'No, mate,' said Jack. 'The governor's daughter made a huge fire and they were found by the navy. Then they sailed after the Pearl to rescue the blacksmith. After a huge fight in the cave, they lifted the curse and the pirate captain killed the captain of the Pearl. But unfortunately, his crew stole the ship off him before he could make himself captain, so he was arrested and sentenced to hang.'

Henry rolled his eyes. 'Did he die?'

'No, the blacksmith rescued him and he escaped back to the Pearl, as his crew had come to find him,' said Jack.

'Meanwhile, the blacksmith and the governor's daughter had realized that they loved each other and agreed to marry,' said Will.

'Is that the end?' asked Rosie.

'I thought this story was about Uncle Will and how he lost his heart,' said Henry.

'There's still more to come,' said Elizabeth. 'The marriage was stopped by Lord Beckett of the East India Trading Company.' Jack smiled as all three of his children simultaneously shuddered, as if on a cue. 'The governor's daughter was locked away, and the blacksmith was sent to find the captain. But the governor's daughter escaped from prison and found the pirate in Tortuga, only to find out her fiancé was in Davy Jones's crew.'

'So they went to search for Davy Jones's heart…' said Jack.

'His heart?' asked Henry.

'He was the Captain of the Dutchman before me,' said Will. 'His heart was in a chest like mine is.'

'They went to find the heart,' said Jack again. 'The blacksmith escaped the Dutchman and went to the island where it was buried too, and after a huge swordfight between the blacksmith, the commodore and the pirate captain, somehow, the commodore ended up with the heart, but nobody realized he did.'

'They went back to the Black Pearl, but Davy Jones was so angry that he set the Kraken on them,' said Will. 'They fought valiantly and held the beast off for quite some time.'

'Did they kill it?' asked Henry.

'No.'

'Did it kill them?' whispered Henry, hoping not.

'It killed most of the crew,' said Jack. 'I think there were about eight of them left, including the captain, the blacksmith and the governor's daughter.'

'So how did they escape if they didn't kill it?'

Jack looked nervously up at Will and Elizabeth. Will nodded for him to continue, but just as he was about to open his mouth, Elizabeth interrupted. 'They left the Pearl in a longboat to get to the nearest bit of land. But the pirate captain knew that the Kraken was only after him, so he bravely volunteered to stay behind.' Jack's eyes widened at this lie. 'He raised his sword and just straight into the creatures mouth, with a smile on his face because he was saving the lives of the people he cared about the most.'

'That's so brave,' said Rosie.

'That's so silly,' said Henry. 'Couldn't he have escaped with the rest of them?'

'Henry, darling,' said Elizabeth. 'That is what makes the difference between a normal pirate and a proper pirate. This captain was a proper pirate because behind all of his dishonesty, there was a good man.' Jack smiled at Elizabeth and she returned it.

'The East India Trading Company got the heart and used it to control Jones and the Dutchman,' continued Elizabeth. 'This was bad for everyone, so the blacksmith and the governor's daughter decided to travel to Davy Jones' locker to rescue the pirate and bring him back to the land of the living.'

'So he isn't dead?' asked Henry, and Toby cheered. 'That's so amazing, to come back from the dead.'

'They went to Shipwreck Cove to meet with the Brethren Court,' said Jack.

'Granddad!' exclaimed Toby.

'Yes, Tobes, Granddad was there,' said Jack, pulling his youngest son onto his lap and ruffling his messy black curls playfully. Toby was the spitting image of his father, thick dark hair, deep brown eyes that turned almost black when he was angry and a tanned face with a cheeky smile. He liked to dress like Jack too, often wearing a little leather tricorn hat and his own wooden sword which Jack had carved himself as a gift on Toby's fourth birthday. Jack tended to spoil Toby more than his other two children, for he'd also bought him a long coat not too dissimilar from Jack's own.

'When they got to the meeting, they had to decide what to do about the Company,' said Elizabeth. 'The Pirate Lords argued and eventually, a vote for the King was called. Every pirate voted for themselves, except for one. The captain of the Pearl voted for the governor's daughter and so she was made King.'

'Mum's the King now,' said Rosie softly.

'She decided that they would go to war the next day against the Dutchman and the Company, so they did,' said Elizabeth. 'It started to rain heavily and the Pearl and the Dutchman headed out into a huge maelstrom to fight.'

'What's a maelstrom?' Toby asked Jack.

'It's a huge storm out at sea where a huge swirling hole appears in the water,' he explained. 'It's very dangerous.'

'The captain was fighting with Davy Jones on the Dutchman to get the heart so he could kill Jones,' said Will, continuing the story from where Elizabeth left off. 'Meanwhile, on the Pearl, the blacksmith and the governor's daughter got married in the middle of the battle.'

'They married while fighting?' asked Henry.

'Yep,' said Will. 'Fighting monsters and the Company.' Henry screwed his face up as if trying to decide which one of those two was worse.

'But then they swung over to the Dutchman to help the captain stab the heart and defeat Davy Jones,' said Jack. 'And Davy Jones stabbed the blacksmith.' Rosie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. 'He was dying, and the captain faced a difficult choice. He could stab the heart himself and live forever, or he could help the blacksmith to stab the heart and remain mortal.'

'He was a good man, so he ran over to the blacksmith and helped him plunge a sword into the heart,' said Elizabeth. 'Jones was defeated, but the blacksmith was still dying. The Dutchman was sinking too, so the captain and the governor's daughter escaped back to the Pearl and watched the ship sink.'

'The Company was bearing down on them, and it looked like they had no hope, but the Dutchman resurfaced with the blacksmith as its new captain,' said Will, and Rosie sighed with relief. 'Together, the Pearl and the Dutchman destroyed the Company's flagship and killed Beckett, winning the battle.'

All three children cheered and smiled.

'The captain of the Pearl remained on his ship with his loyal crew,' said Elizabeth. 'The blacksmith and the governor's daughter went to land and spent one day together, before the blacksmith had to go out on the Dutchman to ferry souls for ten years. But he promised to return to the same place ten years later. This very beach, in fact. And that's the end of the story.'

'It's a good story,' said Henry. 'But why did you tell it to us? Who were these people? Do we know them?'

'Of course we know them, silly,' sighed Rosie, rolling her eyes at her younger brother.

'Well, who are they?' challenged Henry.

'Do you know Rosie?' asked Elizabeth.

'The blacksmith is Uncle Will,' she explained. 'He's the captain of the Dutchman and he killed Davy Jones. That's why his heart is in a chest. The governor's daughter is Mum. She's the King of the Brethren Court. And the pirate captain is Dad, because he's captain of the Black Pearl.'

'Well done, Rosie,' said Elizabeth, smiling at her daughter.

'No, that can't be right,' said Henry. 'Because Mum married Dad, not Uncle Will.'

'Your mum did marry me,' said Will. 'Right in the middle of the battle. But it wasn't fair for me to expect her to wait ten years for me, so she married your dad afterwards.'

'But if Dad was the pirate captain, that means that he was eaten by the Kraken,' said Henry, screwing up his face in concentration.

'Indeed I was,' said Jack.

'Wow!' yelled Henry. 'Amazing! You have to tell me all about it!'

'Maybe another time,' smiled Jack. 'Right now, you should be going to bed. It's late.'

They settled the three children down on blankets on the beach, and they soon fell asleep.

'Are you sure you're okay with me and Jack?' Elizabeth asked Will. 'You aren't angry at us?'

'Of course not,' he replied. 'I'm very happy for you.'

'Really?'

'Yes,' smiled Will, putting his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder and she leaned her head on his shoulder. 'The children are all lovely. Though just think, next time I come, they'll all be teenagers. Think of the trouble they'll be causing!'

'Oh God!' groaned Jack. 'Don't remind me!'

Will and Elizabeth just laughed.

* * *

><p><em>So here we are. The end. Thanks for sticking with me all of this way. I know it's been long, but I really hope you enjoyed it. If you could do one last thing and drop me a review, just telling me what you think of the final thing, what you like, improvements for future stories etc, I would really appreciate it! Also, I've had a couple of requests already for a sequel, which if it happened would probably follow the kids when they're teenagers. Would anybody be interested in this, or is it not worth bothering with?<em>

_Thank you so so much for all your support! :) 3_


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